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THE 


LIFE 


James  Abram  Garfield 


LATE  PRESIDENT  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


THE  RECORD  OF  A WONDERFUL  CAREER,  WHICH,  LIKE  THAT  OF 
ABRAHAM  LINCOLN,  BY  NATIVE  ENERGY  AND' UNTIRING  IN- 
DUSTRY, LED  ITS  HERO" FROM  OBSCURITY  TO  THE  FORE- 
MOST POSITION  IN  THE  AMERICAN  NATION. 
TOGETHER 

WITH  A FULL  ACCOUNT  OF  HIS  ELECTION  TO  THE  PRESIDENCY, 
MOMENTOUS  EVENTS  OF  HIS  BRIEF  ADMINISTRATION,  ASSASS- 
INATION, SURGICAL  TREATMENT,  THE  SYMPATHY  OF 
THE  NATION,  REMOVAL  TO  ELBERON,  DEATH,  AU- 
TOPSY, FUNERAL  OBSEQUIES,  INTERMENT, 

ETC.,  ETC.,  ETC., 

By  William  Ralston  Balch, 

Managing  Editor  of  The  American. 


PUBUSHED  BY 


A.  GORTON  & CO. 

PHILADELPHIA,  PA. 


Copyrighted,  1881. 


TO 

THE  MEMORY  OF 

JAMES  A.  GARFIELD, 

THIS  VOLUME, 

WHICH  DOES  BUT  SCANT  JUSTICE  TO  A NOBLE  THEME,  IS  INSCRIBED  IN 
FULL  ADMIRATION  OF  ITS  HERO  BY 

THE  AUTHOR. 


56CT24 


TO  THE  READER. 


No  apology  is  needed  for  presenting  you  with  the  story  of 
President  Garfield’s  life.  As  our  hero  once  said  : “Things 
don’t  turn  up  in  this  world  unless  somebody  turns  them  up,” 
and  the  terrible  days  between  that  black  2d  of  July  and  the 
sad  19th  of  September,  have  prompted  everybody  to  seek  a 
closer  acquaintance  with  the  man  who  won  each  heart  among 
fifty  millions  of  people.  The  awful  trial  that  came  so  sud- 
denly after  his  new  honors  he  bore  without  a murmur.  In 
that  unparalleled  affliction  all  classes  of  the  people  were 
drawn  to  him,  watched  by  his  bedside,  prayed  for  him  day 
and  night  through  the  melancholy  hours  of  his  illness,  and 
felt  as  if  he  belonged  to  them.  So  I trust  the  story  of  his 
life  will  prove  acceptable  to  you,  command  your  admiration, 
excite  your  emulation  and  win  all  the  sympathy  within  you. 

For  the  narrative  of  events  prior  to  March  4th,  1881,  I am 
indebted  to  the  courtesy  of  the  stricken  President.  After  that 
date  the  facts  have  been  gleaned  from  all  available  sources. 
Mistakes,  I presume  there  are,  but  trust  you  will  excuse  them, 
as  it  has  hardly  been  possible  to  make  accurate  history  before 
the  events  therein  described  may  be  said  to  belong  to  the 
past. 

WILLIAM  RALSTON  BALCH. 


Philadelphia,  Fall  of  1881. 


CONTENTS, 


GARFIELD  AS  A BOY  AND  MAN. 


CHAPTER  I. 

PAGE, 


A Fire  and  its  Result 21 

CHAPTER  II. 

The  Home  in  Early  Days 3a 

CHAPTER  III. 

Days  of  Earnest  Work 35 

CHAPTER  IV. 

The  Pirate’s  Own  Book,... 41 

CHAPTER  Y. 

Inter  Folio  Fructus — Fruit  between  leaves 59 

CHAPTER  VI. 

Garfield  at  Williams .. 75 

CHAPTER  VII. 

A College  President 89 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

The  Birth  of  a Political  Career 104 


GARFIELD  AS  A SOLDIER. 

CHAPTER  IX. 

The  Storm  Bursts 


TI5 


V > i v 


X 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  X. 

PAGE, 


At  the  Head  of  a Regiment 123 

CHAPTER  XI. 

Opening  the  Big  Sandy  Campaign 133 


CHAPTER  XII. 

Hail  Columbia’s  Soldier  at  the  Battle  of  Middle  Creek...  150 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

A Steamboat  Captain  and  the  Capture  of  Pound  Gap 167 

CHAPTER  XIY. 

Off  to  Aid  Grant 184 

CHAPTER  XY. 

Garfield  as  Chief-of-Staff... 197 

CPIAPTER  XVI. 

The  Battle  of  Chickamauga. 208 


GARFIELD  AS  A STATESMAN. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

He  Appears  in  Congress 241 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 

The  Ladder  of  Honor 247 

CHAPTER  XIX. 

An  Ornament  of  Congress 262 

CHAPTER  XX. 

The  Orator’s  Power 269 


CONTENTS.  xj 

CHAPTER  XXI. 

PAGE 

Questions  of  Political  Economy 27S 

CHAPTER  XXII. 

Arraigning  his  Enemies 29a 

CHAPTER  XXIII. 

A Visit  to  Lawnfield 3x0 

CHAPTER  XXIV. 

The  Family  Circle 329 

CHAPTER  XXV. 

Two  Pen  Portraits 351 

THE  REPUBLICAN  NATIONAL  CONVENTION. 

CHAPTER  XXVI. 

Preparing  for  Battle 359 

CHAPTER  XXVII. 

The  Battle  Begun 374 

CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

The  Second  Day’s  Eight 386 

CHAPTER  XXIX. 

War  to  the  Knife,  and  Knife  to  the  Hilt  399 

CHAPTER  XXX. 

The  Thunders  of  Oratory 41S 

CHAPTER  XXXI. 

A Day  of  Doubt 459 


Xll 


CONTENTS . 


CHAPTER  XXXII. 

PAGE, 

The  People’s  Choice 470 

CHAPTER  XXXIII. 

How  it  Plappened,  and  What  was  Said  of  It 486 

CHAPTER  XXXIV. 

A Tour  of  Triumph 505 

CHAPTER  XXXV. 

The  March  to  Victory 531 

CHAPTER  XXXVI. 

The  Interim  and  Inauguration 541 

GARFIELD  AS  PRESIDENT. 

CHAPTER  XXXVII. 

The  Early  Days  of  Garfield’s  Administration 572 

CHAPTER  XXXVIII. 

A Time  of  Trial 590 

CHAPTER  XXXIX. 

Hours  of  Suffering 610 

CHAPTER  XL. 

The  Story  of  the  Bulletins  632 

CHAPTER  XLI. 

The  World  Without 653 


CONTENTS. 


xiii 

CHAPTER  XLII. 

The  Miscreant 664 

CHAPTER  XLIII. 

The  Lesson  of  the  Hour 674 

CHAPTER  XLIY. 

The  Valley  of  the  Shadow  of  Death 682 

CHAPTER  XLV. 

The  Agony  Over 698 

CHAPTER  XL VI. 


The  Last  Act. 


I I I I M I I M I f I f | | » » < ff  f ? | 


75° 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


Frontispiece — President  Garfield. 

PAGE. 

Home  of  President  Garfield’s  Childhood. 

• 

. 20 

The  Mother  of  President  Garfield. 

• 3° 

James  A.  Garfield  at  the  age  of  Sixteen. 

A -» 

• 43 

Garfield  on  the  Tow  Path. 

48 

Hiram  College.  ..... 

. 9i 

Pickets  on  Duty.  ..... 

. 185 

Army  Head-quarters  .... 

w 

00  . 

Cn 

Block  House  at  Chattanooga. 

. 227 

Head-quarters  of  Thomas. 

. 227 

Garfield’s  Home,  Mentor,  Ohio. 

• 312 

Parlor — Garfield’s  Home.  .... 

• 3W 

The  Wife  of  President  Garfield. 

. 328 

Dining-room— Garfield’s  Home. 

• 343 

Reception  of  Garfield  at  the  Depot. 

• S°9 

Garfield  Addressing  the  People. 

■ 5I3 

XVI 


The  Nation’s  Capitol.  . . 0 . 

• 547 

The  White  House.  ..... 

. 568 

President  .Garfield’s  Cabinet. 

• 5 73 

The  Assassination  of  President  Garfield. 

■ 594 

By  the  Bedside  of  the  Suffering  President.  . 

• 598 

Surgeons  in  charge  of  President  Garfield. 

• 633 

The  Assassin  in  his  Cell.  - 

. 664 

En  Route  for  Elberon.  .... 

. 697 

View  of  Elberon — Long  Branch,  N.  J. 

. 700 

The  Death  Scene.  ..... 

. 706 

Lying  in  State  at  Washington. 

• 73° 

GARFIELD  as  a BOY  and  MAN. 


Poverty  is  uncomfortable,  as  I can  testify ; but  nine  times 
out  of  ten  the  best  thing  that  can  happen  to  a young  man  is 
to  be  tossed  • overboard  and  compelled  to  sink  or  swim  for 
himself.  In  all  my  acquaintance  I never  knew  a man  to  be 
drowned  who  was  worth  the  saving. 

Garfield's  Address  to  the  Students  of  Hiram  College. 


Home  of  Garfield’S  Childhood. 


CHAPTER  I. 


A FIRE  AND  ITS  RESULT. 

ABRAM  GARFIELD,  worn  out  with  a night 
of  bitter  toil,  bead-drops  of  perspiration 
standing  upon  his  forehead  and  coursing 
down  his  heated,  cinder-stained  cheeks,  walked  to 
his  home  with  a weary  step.  All  night  long  the 
fires  had  ravaged  the  woods  surrounding  his  little 
homestead,  and  all  night  long,  assisted  by  the 
stout  arms  of  his  neighbors,  he  had  valiantly 
fought  the  flames  that  threatened  his  all,  twenty 
acres  of  good  wheat  growing  on  the  land  he  him- 
self had  cleared  around  h-is  cabin. 

The  fires  were  now  well  down,  the  trunks  of 
unburnt  trees  stood  out  against  the  sky,  black- 
ened witnesses  of  destruction,  and  the  wind  was 
scattering  the  ashes  hither  and  thither,  as  the 
farmers,  knowing  their  scanty  crops  were  saved, 
turned  homeward. 

Abram  Garfield,  honest,  hard-working  farmer 
that  he  was,  naturally  had  taken  pride  in  his  grain, 
a pride  he  could  not  afford  to  see  humbled  by  the 
agency  of  a vagrant  fire  in  the  woods.  When  it 
approached  the  edge  of  his  fields,  he  had  gone 
forth  to  the  fight,  and  after  hours  of  exhausting  - 
work,  succeeded  in  getting  the  better  of  his  enemy. 


21 


2 2 LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 

Reaching  his  cabin,  he  sank  wearily  on  a three- 
legged  stool  that  stood  by  the  open  door  and 
raised  his  hat,  that  he  might  wipe  away  the  per- 
spiration beading  his  forehead.  With  no  thought 
but  that  of  rest,  he  allowed  the  breezes  that  blew 
over  his  saved  wheat  fields  to  cool  his  face  with 
their  grateful  breath. 

In  this  most  natural  act  he  contracted  a severe 
cold  and  sore  throat,  the  over-tension  of  his  system 
laying  it  open  to  influences,  that  his  otherwise 
hardy  nature  would  have  easily  withstood. 

Chill  followed  chill,  and  inflammation  set  in,  be- 
coming rapidly  so  intense,  that  his  good  wife  Eliza 
determined  to  send  for  the  only  doctor  the  county 
boasted,  a semi-quack,  who  lived  several  miles 
away.  The  leech  responded  promptly,  came,  and 
with  many  a profound  gesture  that  illustrated 
nothing  so  well  as  his  profound  ignorance,  ordered 
a blister  for  the  sick  man’s  throat — it  was  applied 
with  all  the  instant  virulence  of  quack  practice  in 
an  unsettled  country.  The  treatment  was  in  faith 
so  heroic,  that  Abram  Garfield  shortly  after  the 
blister  was  applied  choked  to  death.  Feeling 
that  the  last  great  act  of  his  life  had  come,  he 
motioned  his  wife  to  his  side,  and  said,  with  thick, 
broken  utterance : “ I am  going  to  leave  you, 

Eliza.  I have  planted  four  saplings  in  these 
woods,  and  I must  now  leave  them  to  your  care.” 

Then,  giving  a last,  long  look  upon  his  little 
farm  as  it  stretched  beyond  the  window  toward 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


23 

the  rising  sun,  he  called  his  oxen  by  name,  turned 
upon  his  side,  and  expired. 

The  poor  widow  was  stunned  by  the  sudden- 
ness of  her  great  misfortune.  It  had  come  upon 
her  so  quickly,  it  was  impossible  to  realize  at  the 
moment  of  her  husband’s  passing  away,  the  full 
extent  of  her  loss.  Gradually,  the  iron  entered 
her  soul,  she  became  aware  of  her  loneliness. 
Bowing  her  head,  she  wept  bitterly. 

“Do  not  cry,  my  mother,  I will  take  care  of 
you,”  said  her  son  Thomas,  a mere  slip  of  a boy, 
who  stood  by  her  side,  scarce  comprehending 
what  he  said,  or  why  he  said  it. 

“ God  bless  you,  my  son ; I will  try  to  be  brave  for 
your  sweet  sakes,”  said  the  stricken  woman,  as  she 
wound  her  arms  convulsively  about  the  boy.  Ris- 
ing, she  called  two  little  girls  to  her  side,  and  ex- 
plained to  them  their  loss — the  death  of  their 
father.  Tenderly  she  lifted  them  in  her  arms  and 
bade  them  kiss  the  cold,  calm  face,  for  the  last 
time.  Then  from  the  cradle  she  lifted  the  young- 
est, her  baby-boy,  James,  almost  two  years  old,  the 
pride  of  her  hearth-stone.  The  boy  looked  down, 
wonderingly,  out  of  his  great  blue  eyes  at  his 
father’s  face  so  still  upon  the  pillow.  With  a 
childish,  questioning  look,  he  lisped,  “Papa  sleep?” 
The  mother’s  tears,  flowing  rapidly,  was  the  only 
answer. 

Two  days  later,  Abram  Garfield  was  laid  to  rest, 
and  t^ke  baby-boy  was  carried  to  the  funeral  in  the 


24 


LII'E  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


arms  of  his  uncle,  William  Letcher.  The  child, 
as  was  natural  in  one  so  young,  paid  no  attention 
to  the  sad  ceremonies,  until  he  was  brought  beside 
the  coffin  to  take  a last  look  at  the  dead.  Rec- 
ognizing his  father,  he  called  aloud  for  him,  the 
tears  following  each  other  rapidly  down  his  face. 
When  the  earth  was  thrown  upon  the  coffin,  the 
child  continued  his  cries,  until  the  whole  company 
burst  into  tears. 

Who  of  us  that  have  passed  through  such 
a scene,  can  ever  forget  it  ? The  agony  of  a few 
brief  moments  then,  often  lives  forever.  They 
are  to  the  mind  what  scars  are  to  the  body,  and 
remain  upon  us  while  life  lasts,  teaching  always, 
however,  their  lesson,  just  as  the  rock,  when 
rent,  discloses  the  gem,  or  the  little  obstacle  that 
impedes  the  onward  progress  of  the  brook  serves 
to  make  music  and  keep  pure  its  wafeer.  So  with 
Eliza  Garfield.  The  influence  of  her  chastening 
is  upon  her;  it  will  be  to  her  a softening  thought 
and  one  to  nerve  her  arm,  for  hers  is  a heroic 
soul — she  comes  from  no  common  mould;  she 
will  come  forth  from  the  death-chamber  well  armed 
for  the  battle  of  life.  In  her  veins  runs  the  blood 
of  the  Puritans,  and  all  the  energy,  intelligence 
and  perseverance  of  that  grand  old  race  lies 
mingled  in  her  frame.  No  danger  it  will  fail  her 
now ; no  danger  but  that  such  a woman  will  suc- 
ceed ; no  danger  but  that  such  a mother  is  a fit 
woman  to  raise  a President. 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


2 3 


Her  lineage  will  guarantee  this  anywhere.  Let 
us  look  back  a moment  at  the  names  that  stand 
sponsor  for  her  courage  and  devotion.  When  the 
Edict  of  Nantes  was  revoked,  Maturin  Ballou  fled 
to  America  and  took  refuge  at  Cumberland, 
Rhode  Island.  The  fifth  in  descent  from  this 
great  man  was  James  Ballou,  who,  after  some 
vicissitudes,  finally  found  a home  at  Richmond, 
New  Hampshire,  and  a wife  in  the  person  of  Me- 
hetabel  Ingalls,  of  that  place.  Four  'children 
were  born  to  Ballou,  one  of  whom  was  christened 
Eliza.  Soon  after  her  birth,  on  September  21st, 
1801,  at  the  age  of  eight,  her  father  dead,  she  re- 
moved with  her  mother  to  Worcester,  Otsego 
County,  New  York.  At  the  close  of  the  War  of 
1812,  a removal  was  again  thought  advisable,  this 
time  once  more  toward  the  West.  Zainesville, 
Ohio,  was  selected  as  the  Mecca  of  this  pilgrim- 
age, and  after  the  household  effects  had  been 
loaded  into  heavy  carts,  the  adventurous  party  set 
out.  Six  weeks  were  occupied  in  the  journey,  and 
six  more  in  settling  in  the  new  home.  At  the  age 
of  eighteen,  Eliza  Ballou  fell  in  love  with  the  man 
whose  death  we  have  just  described,  Abram  Gar- 
field. 

His  lineage  was  as  strongly  marked  by  all  the 
qualities  that  made  “ men  ” in  the  brave  days  of 
old,  as  was  that  of  the  woman  he  chose  to  be  his 
wife.  In  the  stout,  strangely-shaped  ship  that 


26 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


brought  the  famous  Governor  Winthrop  to  the  in 
hospitable  shores  of  his  New  England  home,  to 

“ The  stern  and  rock-bound  coast,” 

came  also  Edward  Garfield,  a Welshman  of  brave 
heart,  who  left  his  birthplace  (Chester  in  Wales) 
for  an  unknown,  untried  home  in  the  New  World. 
The  name  he  bore  was  probably  in  those  days 
pronounced  differently  to  the  way  it  is  now 
sounded,  for,  as  old  names  always  did,  it  meant 
something.  In  Anglo-Saxon  it  meant  “field 
watch.”  Was  this  prophetic  of  the  military 
honors  coming  to  the  name  of  Garfield  in  later 
years  ? An  ancient  coat  of  arms,  derived  from 
Gaerfili  Castle,  in  Wales,  has  on  the  shield  a gold 
ground  crossed  by  three  red  horizontal  bars,  and 
in  the  upper  dexter  corner  (left  hand  looking 
toward  the  shield)  on  an  ermine  canton,  is  a red 
Maltese  cross,  ( croix  firmee).  The  crest  consists 
of  a helmet  with  a raised  visor,  above  which  is  an 
arm  with  a drawn  sword,  similar  to  the  familiar 
device  in  the  State  seal  of  Massachusetts.  The 
motto  is  “In  crmce  vine o I (Through  faith  I con- 
quer). The  Maltese  cross  seems  to  indicate  that 
the  bearer  had  been  in  the  Crusades,  and  the 
ermine  signifies  that  the  coat  of  arms  was  con- 

o 

ferred  by  the  king. 

Edward  Garfield  thought  little  of  this  as  he 
landed  in  Massachusetts  Bay.  He  had  come  to  a 
country  where  such  heraldic  glories  were  of  little 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


27 


moment.  He  settled  at  Watertown,  Massachu- 
setts, where  he  and  some  of  his  descendants  lie 
buried.  Solomon  Garfield,  one  of  Edward  Gar- 
field’s descendants,  soon  after  the  Revolutionary 
War,  in  which  the  Garfields  upheld  fully  the  honor 
of  their  name,  moved  with  his  children,  one  of 
whom  bore  the  name  of  Thomas,  to  Worcester, 
Otsego  County,  New  York.  It  was  here  that 
Abram  Garfield  was  born. 

When  the  question  came  up  in  the  quiet  of  the 
simple  family  circle : What  shall  we  name  the 
boy?  not  many  minutes’  discussion  decided  that 
he  should  be  called  after  his  uncle  Abram,  a man 
who  deserved  well  of  his  country,  for  he  served  it 
well.  He  was  among;  the  foremost  of  the  farmers 

<z> 

who,  with  their  rusty  rifles,  hastened  to  repulse  the 
British  assault  on  Concord  Bridge;  and  he  was 
selected,  with  John  Hoar,  grandfather  of  the  pres^ 
ent  Judge  Ebenezer  Rockwood  Hoar,  as  witnesses, 
whose  depositions  concerning  the  British  assault 
were  taken  at  the  request  of  the  Continental  Con- 
gress, which  wished  to  show  that  the  British  gov- 
ernment made  the  first  illegal  ag-gression,  and 
Began  the  War  of  Independence. 

The  young  Garfield  bearing  his  uncle’s  worthy 
name,  was  born  in  December,  1 799.  When  two 
years  old  he  lost  his  father  by  an  attack  of  the 
small-pox,  and  the  boy  henceforth  was  under  the 
care  of  a mother  who  possessed  a sufficient  meas- 
ure, of  those  sterling  virtues  the  women  of  our 


28 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


Revolution  always  displayed,  to  give  him  a sturdy 
start  in  life.  What  education  he  gathered  was 
obtained  at  the  maternal  knee,  and  his  constitution 
became  hardened  and  moulded  on  the  broad  fields 
of  the  family  farm.  As  a boy,  rugged  and  sun- 
tanned, he  had  made  the  acquaintance  of  a prim 
little  girl,  born  in  a New  England  town,  Eliza  Bal- 
lou by  name,  who  interested  him  not  a little,  and 
who  occupied  such  of.  his  moments  as  were  given 
over  to  heart  hopes  and  heart  troubles.  But 
Eliza  Ballou  moved  West,  and  left  Abram  Garfield 
alone  in  his  Eastern  home.  He  was  not  long  fol- 
lowing where  his  heart  prompted,  and  in  the  au- 
tumn of  1819  he  journeyed  westward  to  meet 
and  win  his  bride. 

The  leisure  hours  from  his  occupation — a con- 
tractor’s work  on  the  Ohio  Canal — were  agree- 
ably filled  in  with  the  courtship  of  Eliza  Ballou, 
whom  he  in  due  course  married.  His  contractor’s 
work  over,  the  canal  built,  with  a fair  profit  in  his 
pocket,  he  moved  to  Orange,  Cuyahoga  County, 
and  bought  a piece  of  land.  He  moved  practi- 
cally into  the  wilderness,  for  there  was  but  one 
house  within  seven  miles.  Life  here  flowed 
quietly  on,  just  as  in  many  another  Western  log 
cabin.  The  father  managed  his  farm,  and  added 
an  acre  or  two  of  clearing  to  it  every  year.  The 
mother  looked  after  the  cabin  comforts,  and  did 
what  she  could  to  make  her  children  fit  for  the 
struggle  of  existence.  The  father  prospered  fairly. 


JAMES  A.  CARE/ELD. 


29 


The  little  country  town  grew  rapidly,  neighbors 
gathered  on  other  farms,  and  a larger,  more  vigor- 
ous life  settled  upon  the  little  place.  Everything 
went  well  until  the  outbreak  of  the  fire  mentioned 
at  the  opening  of  this  chapter.  The  death  of 
Abram  Garfield  was  the  first  cloud  upon  a life  of 
successful  happiness. 

The  children,  who  were  around  their  father’s 
death-bed  on  that  eventful  morning  of  death, 
were  four,  the  eldest,  a girl,  Mehetabel,  bearing 
her  grandmother’s  Puritan  name ; the  second, 
Thomas,  called  after  his  uncle ; the  third,  Mary, 
and  the  last,  the  blue-eyed  baby,  James  Abram, 
christened  for  his  great  uncle,  almost  as  soon  as 
he  was  born  (November  19th,  1831). 

It  is  the  life  of  this  boy,  James  Abram  Garfield, 
that  is  portrayed  in  the  following  pages. 


30 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


CHAPTER  II. 


THE  HOME  IN  EARLY  DAYS. 


ELIZA  GARFIELD  had  but  a sunless 
prospect  before  her  the  morning  after  her 
' husband  was  buried.  A small  farm  in- 
cumbered  with  debt,  a dense  forest  only  partially 
broken  by  clearings,  a scattered  population  almost 
as  poor  as  herself,  made  up  her  immediate  envi- 
ronment. Putting  aside  the  mistaken  but  kindly- 
meant  advice  of  friends,  she  said  the  house  should 
not  be  broken  up,  the  children  should  not  be  scat- 
tered. Advisers  yielded  to  her  will,  and  she  had 
her  way.  She  took  up  the  mantle  of  head  of  the 
family,  and  with  that  brevet  rank  which  widowhood 
never  fails  to  confer  upon  deserving  women,  she 
made  herself  thoroughly  respected  by  her  sterling 
force  of  character  and  hmh  resolve  to  dare  and  do 

o 

for  the  weal  of  her  children.  Though  small  of 
stature,  and  thirty  years  of  age,  she  had  the  ability 
and  energy  of  a larger  and  older  woman.  The 
farm  was  to  be  kept  up,  the  home  continued  as  it 
had  been  since  1830,  the  “four  saplings”  cared 
for  until  they  were  ready  to  be  transplanted. 
Then,  and  not  till  then,  would  she  give  up  the 
farm. 

This  was  a resolve  that  boded  a harvest  in  its 


Mrs.  Garfield— the  president’s  mother. 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


31 


fruition.  For  there  was  nothing  strikingly  beau- 
tiful in  the  country  where  she  dwelt,  there  was 
nothing  remarkably  attractive.  The  soil  was  not 
noticeably  excellent.  There  were  a thousand 
farms  that  surpassed  it,  and  she  had  nothing  to 
work  with  but  energy  and  willingness.  She  rose 
early  and  retired  late.  Her  work  never  sought 
her,  she  sought  it.  The  homestead  assumed  a 
more  homelike  appearance  each  year,  as  new 
comforts  were  added  by  the  thrifty  woman  who 
managed  it.  The  young  orchard  which  Abram 
Garfield  had  planted  grew  amazingly,  and  the 
trees  fulfilled  the  promise  of  their  planting. 
Cherries,  apples  and  plums,  and  later  currants, 
proved  quite  an  addition  to  the  frugal  fare  of  the 
family,  and  the  gathering  of  these  was  always  a 
delight  to  the  children.  Often  could  young  James 
be  seen  perched  on  the  top  of  a tree,  with  a pail, 
picking  cherries  for  his  mother  to  preserve,  or 
gathering  apples  for  her  to  dry.  Out-door  life  to 
the  boy,  who  had  already  toddled  through  infancy 
and  was  now  a rousing  youngster  of  eight,  pre- 
sented many  an  attraction  that  some  children 
never  seem  to  perceive.- 

Indian  histories,  then  the  liveliest  and  most  vivid 
of  all  border  reminiscences,  were  often  told  over 
in  the  twilight  to  the  eager  boy,  eager  for  any 
news  of  that  world  to  which  his  yet  unformed  fan- 
cies had  carried  him  but  which  he  was  yet\mable 
to  people  properly  or  quite  understand.  He  car- 


32 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


ried  his  bright  fancies  into  his  play  and  every  tree 
in  the  orchard  received  at  his  hands  the  name  of 
some  noted  author  of  whom  he  had  but  imperfectly 
heard  and  still  more  imperfectly  admired;  or  of 
some  statesman  who  had  figured  in  the  scraps  of 
American  history  which  he  had  listened  to;  or 
better  still  of  some  noted  Indian  Chief  whose  deeds 
had  excited  the  boy’s  admiration.  The  noblest 
tree  of  the  orchard  received  in  the  boy’s  estimation 
the  noblest  name  Tecumseh. 

As  a boy  he  was  always  a busy  spectator  and 
assistant  at  the  various  harvest  ceremonies;  cider 
making,  apple  gathering  for  butter,  corn  husking 
and  the  like.  So  seldom  perhaps  has  an  apple- 
butter  boiling  on  the  border  been  seen  by  any  of 
our  readers  that  we  maybe  pardoned  perhaps  for 
turning  aside  a moment  to  describe  one.  In  those 
days  there  were  no  carriages  and  but  very  few 
roads.  Paths  through  the  forest  led  from  one  farm 
to  another,  and  if  was  only  the  highways  between 
the  larger  villages  that  rose  to  the  dignity  of 
township  roads.  Everybody  rode  on  horseback 
and  the  men  generally  carried  the  women  behind 
them  upon  the  same  horse.  In  the  fall  when  the 
apples  were  gathered  it  was  given  out  far  and 
near  that  there  would  be  an  apple-butter  boiling 
at  a certain  farm-house  and  all  the  neighbors  were 
cordially  invited  to  attend.  In  the  afternoon  came 
the  older  women  who  pared  the  apples  and  made 
ready  for  the  night.  Large  tubs  full  of  pared, 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


33 


quartered  and  cored  apples  stood  about  the 
kitchen,  and  a great  black  kettle  was  hung  in  the 
yard.  As  night  approached  youths  and  maidens, 
some  on  foot  and  some  on  horseback,  came  from 
miles  around  and  then  the  fire  under  the  kettle 
was  lighted.  The  kettle  was  filled  about  two- 
thirds  full  of  cider  and  a bushel  of  quartered  ap- 
ples thrown  in  as  soon  as  the  cider  came  to  a boil. 
It  had  to  be  unceasingly  stirred  with  a long  handled 
stirrer  lest  it  burn.  With  a maid  to  assist,  a young 
man  took  charge  of  the  kettle  and  standing  face 
to  face  with  their  hands  on  the  stirrer,  they  moved 
the  apples  about  in  the  kettle  and  chatted  of  love, 
war  or  the  gossip  of  the  neighborhood.  What 
man  that  has  ever  stirred  apple  butter  with  his 
sweetheart  has  forgotten  it?  And  who  of  these 

o 

cannot  now  remember  with  a thrill  of  delight  the 
paring  bees  and  the  fun  of  counting  the  apple 
seeds  to  know  if  the  girl  next  you  really  loved 
you?  And  who  but  recalls  the  sweet  blushes  as 
the  tell-tale  seeds  revealed  the  hidden  secret,  the 
agitated  flight  of  the  maiden  to  escape  the  shock- 
ing public  announcement  of  the  discovery  just 
made  ? 

The  frolics  of  apple-butter  boiling  were  hardly 
forgotten  before  the  corn-huskings  lightened  the 
cool  autumn  days,  and  gave  to  labor  wings  of 
pleasure.  Here  young  Garfield  was  in  his  ele- 
ment, as  he  assisted  everybody  in  the  long  line  of 
men  and  women  who,  with  many  a happy  jest, 


34 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


many  a frolic,  vigorously  applied  the  shucker  to 
the  yielding  leaf.  Here,  again,  the  youth  and 
maiden  were  found  side  by  side.  She  working 
assiduously,  he  less  earnestly,  though  more  watch- 
fully for  fear  some  red  ear  not  noticed  might  lose 
him  the  privileged  kiss.  They  were  happy  days, 
those  before  the  modern  march  of  machinery  in- 
vaded our  harvest  fields  to  shorten  our  labor,  and 
to  steal  away  all  the  sweet  privileges  that  the  cus- 
tom of  decades  had  interwoven  with  it.  But  while 
they  lasted  upon  the  Orange  farm  of  the  Gar- 
fields  young  James  took  his  share  of  the  romping, 
for  he  was  fond  of  it,  or  of  the  work,  of  which  he 
was  fonder.  For  there  was  not  a lazy  bone  in  his 
body,  and  he  possessed  the  full  boyish  enthusiasm 
that  oftentimes  makes  the  whole  world  seem  ob- 
tainable. 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


35 


CHAPTER  III. 


DAYS  OF  EARNEST  WORK. 

jf  "^HE  early  spring  of  1843  finds  the  Garfield 
family  still  humbly  prosperous.  The  not 
over-productive  farm  yields  a subsistence, 
a subsistence  made  somewhat  more  bountiful,  now 
that  the  children  are  all  able  to  do  work  that 
counts.  The  elder  son  works  the  farm  with  the 
aid  of  hired  hands,  and  James,  now  twelve  years  of 
age,  is  beginning  to  help.  He  drives  in  the  cattle, 
carries  wood,  hoes  the  potatoes  and  corn,  builds 
fires  and  does  whatever  his  little  hands  can  find  to 
do.  The  girls  assist  their  mother  with  her  house- 
hold duties ; and  the  family,  though  poor,  is  thor- 
oughly happy.  James  has  obtained  some  tools — - 
a saw,  a chisel,  a gimblet,  and  a shaving-knife — 
and  with  these  he  mends  the  chairs,  puts  latches 
and  hinges  on  the  doors,  and  is  so  handy,  his 
brother  says,  he  will  “ surely  be  a carpenter  some 
day  and  build  houses.” 

In  winter  the  children  go  to  the  village-school, 
and  are  fast  acquiring  the  rudiments  of  knowledge. 
The  mother  helps  them  with  their  little  lessons. 
The  district  school  only  lasts  for  a few  months  in 
winter,  and  often  the  weather  is  so  inclement  the 
children  cannot  go  out.  Then  the  mother  teaches 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


36 

them  herself,  reads  to  them,  and  as  the  embers 
crackle  and  sparkle  in  the  open  fire-place,  diffusing 
a gentle  warmth,  the  family  gathers  about  it,  and 
little  heed  is  paid  to  the  driving  storm  without.  At 
night  stories  are  told,  the  scanty  library  over- 
hauled and  its  precious  information  repeated  with- 
out end.  There  is  one  book  which  is  a source  of 
never-ending  comfort,  the  Holy  Bible,  and  from 
this  the  mother  reads  every  night  to  her  children 
selecting  those  interesting  Bible  stories  which  their 
young  minds  can  comprehend. 

Among  the  books  were  two  of  greatest  interest 
to  young  James,  Weem’s  “Life  of  Marion,”  and 
Grimshaw’s  “ Napoleon.”  “ Mother,  read  to  me 
about  that  great  soldier,”  he  says  almost  every 
night,  and  as  the  martial  deeds  of  the  first  man  of 
France  are  recited  the  boy’s  eyes  dilate,  his  breast 
swells,  and  once  he  exclaims,  enthusiasticallyj 
“ Mother,  when  I get  to  be  a man,  I am  going  to 
be  a soldier.” 

At  this  the  girls  laugh  heartily,  and  James, 
chagrined,  says,  “Well,  you  will  see  that  I will  be 
a soldier,  and  whip  people  as  Napoleon  did.’’ 
The  good-natured  and  matter-of-fact  Thomas  re- 
minds him  that  it  is  far  better  to  be  a farmer,  and 
so  the  matter  drops. 

The  little  school  that  he  attends  is  not  far  from 
the  house,  and  within  its  walls  on  due  effort,  he 
easily  leads  the  boys  and  girls  who  are  his  class- 
mat©*;.  One  day,  he  and  his  brother  are  caught 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


37 


whispering,  and  the  teacher  sends  them  home. 
Thomas  stays  around  the  school-house,  hoping 
that  somehow  he  will  be  forgiven.  Jim  runs  right 
home  and  then  riodit  back  aqain.  When  he  comes 
into  the  room  the  teacher  says:  “James,  I thought 
I sent  you  home.  Didn’t  I ?” 

“Yes,  ma’am,”  says  Jim. 

“Well,  why  didn’t  you  go  ?” 

“I  did  go,  I just  got  back,”  and,  with  a laugh, 
the  teacher  allows  Jim  to  stay.  He  was  very 
clever  at  this  age,  and  not  infrequently  he  would 
go  to  Sunday-school  with  the  teacher  and  would 
sit  on  the  desk  and  ask  the  boys  Bible  questions, 
such  as  these:  “Who  was  the  wisest  man?” 
“Who  was  the  meekest  man?”  “Who  was  in  the 
whale’s  belly?”  The  boys  did  not  know,  and  then 
Jim’s  superior  knowledge  would  come  into  play, 
and  he  . would  gravely  inform  them,  and  always 
with  accuracy.  Thus  the -winter  passes  away,  and 
the  summer  comes  on  all  too  soon. 

With  the  opening  leaves,  the  summer’s  work 
begins.  The  manure-  has  to  be  hauled  out  and 
spread  upon  the  land,  then  the  land  is  plowed,  har- 
rowed mellow,  and  made  ready  for  the  corn.  Far- 
rowing out,  or  marking  the  earth  for  the  corn,  is  a 
neat  job,  and  often  a boy  has  to  ride  the  horse  to 
keep  him  going  straight.  The  dropping  of  the 
corn  is  always  done  by  boys  and  girls.  With  a 
basket  full  of  kernels  on  one  arm,  four  grains  at 
a time  are  taken  out,  and  put  in  a hill.  Some  take 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


a handful  out  at  a time,  and  measure  out  fouf 
grains  with  the  thumb  and  the  two  front  fingers, 
lettinor  them  slide  off  into  the  hill.  The  hills  must 

O 

be  put  the  same  distance  apart,  and  the  droppers 
generally  walk  in  the  farrow,  planting  the  kernels 
just  in  front  of  the  big  toe,  three  feet  being  allowed 
between  hills.  The  girls  and  boys  run  in  their 
bare  feet,  and  each  one  vies  with  the  other  in  plant- 
ing the  hills  regularly  and  with  expedition.  What 
jolly  races  we  have  had  along  the  corn  rows  to 
beat  the  hoers  out  and  have  time  to  gather  the 
raspberries  that  grew  in  the  fence  corners ! Each 
corn-dropper  is  followed  by  a man  with  a hoe,  who 
carefully  covers  up  the  seed,  and  grumbles  inces- 
santly if  the  kernels  are  scattered  too  far  apart. 

After  the  corn-planting  season  comes  the  stone- 
picking from  the  land  that  is  to  be  mowed,  and 
this  must  be  done  early,  before  the  grass  gets  so 
high  as  to  conceal  the  smaller  stones.  To  prop- 
erly cleanse  a piece  of  grass  land  from  stones  is 
no  small  job,  and  often  have  we  seen  the  boys 
with  their  finger-nails  worn  into  the  quick,  and  the 
skin  so  thin  on  their  fina-ers  that  the  blood  oozed 

o 

through.  In  those  days,  before  reapers  and  mow- 
ers were  known,  the  smallest  stone  would  spoil  a 
scythe,  and  every  one  had  to  be  carefully  picked 
up  and  carried  away  or  placed  in  little  heaps, 
around  which  the  scythe  men  could  mow. 

Planting  potatoes,  cultivating  the  corn  to  keep 
down  the  weeds,  hoeing  potatoes,  weeding  in  the 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


39 


garden,  milking  the  cows,  churning  and  butter- 
making occupied  the  time  until  the  grass  was 
grown,  and  then  came  the  hay  making.  Who 
that  has  ever  lived  on  a farm  will  forget  the  jolly 
time  when  the  scythes  were  brought  out,  and  the 
whet-stones  rang  against  their  blue-steel  blades  ? 
What  music  was  sweeter  than  the  song  of  the 
mowers  ? And  when  the  hay  was  turned  to  dry  in 
the  sun,  we  raked  it  into  windrows  for  the  pitch- 
ers. Then  the  wagon,  with  its  wide  ladders  ; the 
bright  forks,  with  their  long  handles  ; the  fragrant 
odor  of  the  grass,  as  it  was  pitched  on  the  wagon, 
to  be  caught  in  our  arms,  and  built  into  a long, 
wide  sugar  loaf  overhanging  the  wheels;  the  sun 
shining,  the  meadow-larks  singing,  and  our  own 
little  sweetheart  adding  her  tender  voice,  as  with 
nut-brown  hands  and  disheveled  hair  she  rakes 
the  fragrant  hay!  It  is  always  the  province  of  a 
farm  boy  to  build  the  hay  on  the  wagon,  and  often 
the  little  maid  assisted,  sometimes  tramping  with 
naked  feet  on  a hidden  brier,  which  causes  her  to 
scream  gently,  and  necessitated  a search  for  the 
nasty  jagger. 

The  haying  season  is  speedily  followed  by  the 
grain-cutting.  “The  harvest  is  ripe,”  is  a welcome 
announcement  to  the  husbandman,  but  not  always 
to  the  farmer’s  son,  for  it  means  “strength,  labor  and 
sorrow”  to  him.  Up  at  daylight  to  turn  the  grind- 
stone for  the  cradle-scythes,  out  with  the  lark  to 
bring  in  the  cows  and  get  the  morning  work  done,  be- 
3 


40 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


fore  the  harvesters  begin.  Then  following  the  reap- 
ers and  binders,  to  gather  up  the  sheaves  for  the 
shocks,  while  the  sun,  each  hour  grows  hotter  and 
hotter,  until  the  light  quivers  with  waves  of  heat. 
The  bringing  out  of  the  ten  o’clock  piece,  the  carry- 
ing of  water  for  the  thirsty  men,  and  the  toiling  until 
the  welcome  dinner-bell  rings!  How  often  have 
we  thought  it  never  would  ring,  and  the  great,  hot, 
red  sun  seemed  to  have  been  commanded  by  an- 
other Joshua  to  stand  still  in  the  sky.  Then  the 
sweet  noon  rest  under  the  trees,  the  renewal  ol 
labor,  the  long,  hot  afternoon,  with  night  at  last! 
What  farmer-boy  does  not  remember  these  days 
in  his  early  life  ? 

To  James  Garfield  such  life  was  pregnant  with 
interest,  engendered  by  duty.  He  was  not  an  en- 
thusiastic farmer,  but  he  was  an  enthusiastic  helper 
of  his  mother,  and  from  the  time  he  was  able — he 
was  always  willing — he  shouldered  his  full  share 
of  all  the  farm-work,  finding  his  special  province 
in  the  lighter  labors  of  seed-time  and  harvest.  In 
the  fall,  “chores”  about  the  barn-house,  until  the 
winter’s  snowy  mantle  covered  the  ground,  and 
the  district  school-teacher  summoned  the  boys  and 
girls  to  reopen  their  neglected  books,  for  another 
season.  And  so  the  years  fled  their  even  course 
until  1846. 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


41 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THE  PIRATE’S  OWN  BOOK. 

THERE  was  a wide  difference  between  the 
Garfield  boys.  Thomas,  the  older  brother, 
was  quiet,  unambitious,  and  aspired  to 
nothing  more  than  the  honest,  regular  round  of  a 
farmer’s  life.  James,  the  younger,  was  enterpriz- 
ing,  ambitious  and  pushing  in  his  temperament. 
It  is  more  than  doubtful  if  he  ever  intended  to  be 
a farmer,  and,  probably,  from  his  earliest  years  his 
brain  was  tenanted  with  visions  of  greatness. 
He  had  now  become  so  expert  in  the  use  of  tools 
that  he  could,  while  yet  a mere  boy,  make  or  build 
almost  anything,  and  his  talent  as  a carpenter  was 
in  constant  demand.  Hardly  a building  or  enter- 
prise of  any  kind  in  the  section  of  Ohio  where  he 
lived,  but  bore  some  marks  of  his  skill.  He  had 
a carpenter’s  bench,  and  on  this  he  worked  early 
and  late,  though  his  labor  brought  him  but  small 
financial  return.  The  land  on  which  the  Garfields 
lived  was  so  poor  it  yielded  them  but  a scanty 
living,  and  James  felt  the  necessity  of  “working 
out,”  as  it  was  called,  to  increase  the  limited  re- 
sources of  the  family.  He  was  early  and  late  in 
the  village,  and  among  the  neighbors,  seeking  odd 
jobs  for  his  dexterous  hands,  aq4;sqpn  came  to.be 


42 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


known  as  the  most  industrious  lad  in  all  Orange. 
H is  life  was  a hard  one,  but  James  was  patient — • 
being-  willing  to  “labor  and  wait”  for  the  better 
times  that  he  knew  would  come  when  he  deserved 
them. 

His  popularity  with  the  citizens  of  Orange  was 
great,  and  they  often  put  themselves  out  to  do  a 
favor  for  the  youth  who  was  so  firmly  resolved  to 
become  a fully  equipped  man,  and  they  gave  him 
employment  mornings,  evenings  and  Saturdays. 
In  this  way  he  earned  enough  to  clothe  and  main- 
tain himself,  and  also  help  the  family  a little.  The 
summer  vacation  afforded  him  more  time  to  work, 
and  added  largely  to  his  earnings.  He  was  sober 
and  steady,  a gaint  in  labor,  and  never  seemed  to 
even  give  himself  time  to  rest.  The  savings  of 
his  busy  vacations,  earned  with  a jack-plane  and 
hammer,  made  a full  purse  to  the  lad  whose  pre- 
vious supplies  of  money  had  been  more  than 
meagre. 

From  his  earliest  appreciable  days,  young  Gar- 
field had  been  fond  of  books.  Before  he  could  read, 
he  loved  to  listen  to  what  others  would  tell  him, 
treasuring  every  word  his  unpracticed  memory 
could  recall.  When  he  was  abH  to  read,  his  ap- 
petite for  it  grew  with  every  hour  of  his  life. 
What  he  could  obtain  in  the  way  of  literature  he 
devoured,  not  merely  read,  but  re-read  and  re-read, 
until  every  word  was  more  than  a “ twice  told 
taled  Books  ofv  adventure,  tales  of  daring,  lives 


James  A.  Garfield 


AT  THE  AGE  OF-  SIXTEEN.  FROM  A PHOTOGRAPH. 


. 


JAMBS  A.  GARFIELD. 


45 


of  freebooters,  seemed  to  fascinate  his  mind  the 
most.  The  air  of  wild  freedom,  the  nonchalance 
and  absence  of  care  with  which  pirates  lived,  was 
a great  attraction  to  the  boy’s  spirit,  already  equal 
in  its  boldness  to  the  most  daring  freebooter  the 
sea  ever  knew.  “ The  Pirate’s  Own  Book  ” was  a 
treasure-house  of  stories  in  which  Garfield  took 
an  extreme,  ever  vivified  delight.  No  matter  how 
many  times  he  pored  over  the  book ; no  matter 
how  often  he  absorbed  its  wild  life  and  seemed  to 
breathe  the  very  atmosphere  in  which  his  heroes 
lived  and  moved,  it  was  ever  a well-spring  of 
pleasure  to  him.  He  shared  in  all  the  dangers  of 
the  pirates,  he  made  the  bivouac  with  them  on  the 
lonely  beach  among  the  shadows,  he  drank  their 
coffee,  he  eat  their  biscuits  and  fruit,  he  stole  with 
them  on  stealthy  foot  over  the  difficult  paths  to 
where  the  gold  was  buried  from  the  last  great 
prize,  a Spanish  treasure  galleon,  he  boarded  the 
stranger  ship,  he  carried  a torch  that  set  her  on 
fire  with  the  best  of  them,  and  he  joined  with  all 
a boy’s  ardor  in  the  lusty  cheer  as  the  prize  went 
down.  He  lived  their  lives  over  again,  he  was 
every  brave  chief  in  turn,  and  he  loved  the  salt 
waves  with  the  most  enthusiastic  of  them  all. 

It  was  perhaps  fortunate  at  this  juncture  that 
there  were  no  opportunities  to  gratify  the  wild 
fancies  thus  born  within  the  boy’s  heart,  fancies 
the  black  shadows  of  which  he  hardly  saw.  As  it 
was  the  Pirate’s  Own  Book  only  fired  his  ambition 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


to  be  something,  and  so  did  no  harm.  He  saw  too 
that  his  ambition  could  only  be  gratified  with 
money  and  upon  a larger  field  of  life  that  opened 
to  him  in  the  Cuyahoga  wilderness  or  was  con- 
tained within  the  bounds  of  Orange. 

One  day  he  came  to  his  mother  and  said, 

“Mother,  I have  engaged  to  chop  a hundred 
cords  of  wood  for  twenty-five  dollars.” 

“But  are  you  sure  you  are  quite  strong  enough 
for  such  an  undertaking?”  inquired  the  careful 
woman. 

“Oh,  yes,”  replied  James,  laughingly,  “I  shall  get 
through  with  it  some  how.” 

He  went  bravely  to  work,  but  soon  found  he 
had  indeed  undertaken  a formidable  task.  His 
pride  forbid  him  to  give  up.  He  had  said  he 
could  do  it  and  do  it  he  would  let  it  cost  what  it 
might.  The  task  was  that  of  a man,  and  his  boy’s 
strength  began  to  fail  him  before  it  was  half  over, 
but  he  toiled  on  day  after  day.  At  every  stroke 
of  the  axe  he  could  look  up  and  catch  the  sun’s 
glimmer  on  the  slaty-blue  waves  of  Lake  Erie. 
It  prompted  all  the  imaginings  of  his  young  heart 
so  deeply  stirred  by  the  Pirate’s  Own  Book.  He 
thought  the  lake  to  be  the  sea  and  already  he 
saw  himself  a bold  rover  with  a gallant  crew,  com- 
manding a staunch  black  ship  that  proudly  carried 
the  black  flag  at  the  peak,  floating  out  upon  its 
restless  bosom.  And  when  he  would  lie  down  at 
night  his  day  thoughts  turned  into  dreams  of  the 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


47 

sea  and  its  life  of  wild  attractiveness.  In  his 
dreams  he  was  ever  a sailor. 

When  his  wood-chopping  was  done  and  his  hun- 
dred cords  were  neatly  piled,  he  went  to  the  New- 
burg  farmer,  for  whom  he  had  worked,  received 
his  twenty-five  dollars  and  carried  it  straight  to 
his  mother.  Mrs.  Garfield  looked  at  the  pale  boy, 
and  though  proud  of  his  manly  achievement,  she 
saw,  with  some  apprehension,  that  he  had  over- 
tasked himself.  She  softly  remonstrated  with  his 
ardor,  urging  it  as  a caution  for  the  future.  It  was 
precisely  this  future  that  was  on  the  boy’s  mind, 
and  still  strong  in  his  sailor  fancies,  it  was  this  that 
he  had  come  to  spea.k  about. 

“ Mother,  I want  to  be  a sailor,  and  I am  going 
to  sea,”  said  he,  abruptly. 

Mrs.  Garfield  turned  pale,  for  she  knew  too 
well,  alas  ! this  meant  a separation  for  years,  and, 
perhaps  forever,  from  her  son. 

“ Nay,  James,”  she  replied,  gently;  “why  not  be 
content  with  us  at  home?  the  sea  is  a hard  life,  and 
I fear  I could  not  part  with  you  just  yet.  The  hay- 
ing season  is  at  hand,  and  your  brother  will  need 
your  assistance  on  the  farm.  I pray  you  give  up 
this  sea-faring  idea  for  the  present.” 

James  said  not  a word,  but  went  about  the  work 
on  the  farm.  He  assisted  in  the  hay-fields  and 
the  gathering  of  the  harvest,  but  when  it  was  all 
over  he  came  again  to  his  mother,  and  announced 
to  her  that  he  could  no  longer  restrain  his  desire 

o 


48 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


fora  life  on  the  wave.  He  had  resolved  to  imme- 
diately depart.  Then  he  packed  a few  clothes  in 
a bundle,  and  placing  them  on  a stick  across  his 
shoulder,  like  all  the  boys  in  pictures  he  had 
ever  seen,  set  out  on  foot  for  Cleveland.  Amid 
prayers  and  forebodings,  the  poor  mother  had 
bidden  him  good-bye,  and  he  carried  with  him 
her  kiss  and  her  blessing,  as  his  only  fortune 

He  plodded  along  cheerfully.  His  heart  never 
failed  him,  his  courage  never  sank.  He  was  always 
hopeful  and  in  good  spirits.  After  a tramp  of  sev- 
eral days,  he  reached  Cleveland,  and  at  once  sought 
the  harbor,  that  paradise  wherein  he  believed 
he  should  find  a career  of  indescribable  happiness. 
There  was  but  one  ship  in  port.  This  he  boarded, 
and  not  without  some  trepidation  inquired  for  the 
captain. 

H is  idea  of  a ship’s  captain  had  been  formed 
from  his  reading,  and  then  gilded  with  the  honest 
goodness  of  his  own  nature.  He  imagined  that  any 
man  who  was  good  and  great  enough  to  command 
a ship,  must,  at  least,  be  a dashing,  brave  and 
gallant  fellow,  capable,  when  occasion  required,  of 
performing  desperate  deeds,  but  disposed  to  be,  as 
a general  thing,  generous  to  a fault.  To  his  ques- 
tion, where  he  could  see  the  captain,  a deck-hand 
replied:  “The  cap’n’s  below,  he’ll  be  up  soon.” 
Garfield,  somewhat  disturbed,  waited  the  fulfillment 
of  the  deck-hand’s  information.  In  a moment  it 
proved  true.  The  “cap’n”  came  on  deck,  an- 


Garfield  on  the  Tow-Path. 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


49 


nouncing  his  coming  with  volley  after  volley  of 
oaths  that  would  have  done  no  disgrace  to  “ our 
army  in  Flanders.”  A second  after  the  oaths 
came  the  captain,  and  then  he  greeted  the  as- 
tonished youth : 

“ What  do  you  want  hyar  ?”  rolled  out  in  gruff- 
est thunder. 

“ I would  like  to  ship  as  a hand  on  board  your 
vessel,”  promptly  replied  our  hero,  as  he  recollec- 
ted his  errand.  His  only  answer  was  a renewed 
volley  of  oaths,  fired  directly  at  him  instead  of 
into  space,  followed  by  a suppresed  titter  from  the 
men.  Hurt,  shocked  and  stunned,  young  Gar- 
field left  the  vessel. 

Once  on  shore,  he  sat  down  to  consider  his 
plans,  and  resolve  on  his  next  move.  The  sea 
after  all  did  not  seem  quite  as  blue,  and  quite  as 
attractive  as  it  had  earlier  in  the  day.  He  went 
back  to  the  city.  As  he  strolled  on,  his  philoso- 
phic mind  reasoning  on  his  situation,  he  chanced 
upon  the  canal.  “As  the  canal  is  to  the  lake,  so  is 
the  lake  to  the  sea.  I will  go  to  work  on  the 
canal  and  learn  there  first.” 

Armed  with  this  new  resolve,  which  now  seemed 
to  be  reinforced  with  all  the  love  and  ambition  he 
had  originally  felt  for  his  sea-faring  project,  he 
sought  out  a canal  boat.  The  Evening  Star, 
Captain  Amos  Letcher,  was  tied  to  the  bank. 
Stepping  on  board,  he  asked  to  see  the  captain. 
Amos  Letcher  looked  into  the  boy’s  frank,  open 


50 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


countenance  and  his  bright  blue  eye,  and  was  men' 
tally  prepossessed  in  his  favor.  Letcher  is  still 
living,  and  recalls  his  boy-driver  to-day  in  the  fol- 
lowing fashion  : 

“ There  was  nothing  prepossessing  about  him  at  that  time, 
any  more  than  he  had  a free,  open  countenance.  He  had  no 
bad  habits,  was  truthful,  and  a boy  that  every  one  would  trus 
on  becoming  acquainted  with  him.  He  came  to  me  in  the 
summer  of  1847,  when  I was  Captain  of  the  Evening  Star, 
and  half  owner — B.  H.  Fisher,  now  Judge  Fisher,  of  Wichita, 
Kansas,  being  my  partner.  Early  one  morning,  while  dis- 
charging a cargo,  Jim  Garfield  tapped  me  on  the  shoulder  and 
said:  ‘Hello,  Ame,  what  are  you  doing  here?’  ‘You  see 
what  I’m  doing.  What  are  you  doing  here?’  ‘Hunting 
work.’  What  kind  of  work  do  you  want?’  ‘Anything  to 
make  a living.  I came  here  to  ship  on  the  lake,  but  they 
bluffed  me  off,  and  called  me  a country  greenhorn.’  ‘You’d 
better  try  your  hand  on  smaller  waters  first ; you’d  better  get 
so  you  can  drive  a horse  and  tie  a tow-line.  I should  like 
to  have  you  work  for  me,  but  I’ve  nothing  better  than  a 
driver’s  berth,  and  suppose  you  would  not  like  to  work  for 
twelve  dollars  a month?’  ‘ I have  got  to  do  something,  and, 
if  that  is  the  best  you  can  do,  I will  take  the  team.’  ‘All 
right,  I will  give  you  a better  position  as  soon  as  a vacancy 
occurs.’  I called  my  other  driver,  and  said,  ‘ Ikey,  go  and 
show  Jim  his  team.’  Just  as  they  were  going  to  start,  Jim 
asked,  ‘ Is  it  a good  team?’  ‘As  good  as  is  on  the  canal.’ 
‘ What  are  their  names?’  ‘Kit  and  Nance.’  Soon  after  we 
were  in  the  ‘ eleven-mile  lock,’  and  I thought  I’d  sound  Jim 
on  education — in  the  rudiments  of  geography,  arithmetic  and 
grammar.  For  I was  just  green  enough  those  days  to  imagine 
that  I knew  it  all.  I had  been  teaching  sehool  for  three  win- 
ters in  the  backwoods  of  Steuben  County,  Ind.  So,  I asked 
him  several  questions,  and  he  answered  them  all;  and,, then 


JAMES  A.  CAR  FIELD. 


51 

he  asked  me  several  that  I could  not  answer.  I told  him  he 
had  too  good  a head  to  be  a common  canal  hand. 

“As  we  were  approaching  the  twenty-one  locks  of  Akron,  I 
sent  my  bowsman  to  make  the  first  lock  ready.  Just  as  he  got 
there,  the  bowsman  from  a boat  above  made  his  appearance, 
and  said:  ‘Don’t  turn  this  lock,  our  boat  is  just  round  the 
bend,  ready  to  enter.’  My  man  objected,  and  began  turning 
the  gate.  By  this  time,  both  boats  were  near  the  lock,  and 
their  headlights  made  it  almost  as  bright  as  day.  Every  man 
from  both  boats  was  on  hand  ready  for  a field  fight.  I mo- 
tioned my  bowsman  to  come  to  me.  Said  I:  ‘ Were  we  here 
first?’  ‘It’s  hard  telling,  but  we’ll  have  the  lock  anyhow.’ 
‘ All  right,  just  as  you  say.’  Jim  Garfield  tapped  me  on  the 
shoulder,  and  asked:  ‘Does  that  lock  belong  to  us?’  ‘I  sup- 
pose, according  to  law,  it  does  not.  But  we  will  have  it  any- 
how.’ ‘ No,  we  will  not.’  ‘ Why?’  said  I.  ‘ Why?’  with  a 
look  of  indignation  I shall  never  forget,  ‘ why,  because  it 
don’t  belong  to  us.’  Said  I : ‘ Boys,  let  them  have  it.’ 

“Next  morning,  one  of  the  hands  accused  Jim  of  being  a 
coward,  because  he  would  not  fight  for  his  rights.  Said  I : 
‘Boys,  don’t  be  hard  on  Jim.  I was  mad  last  night,  but  I 
have  got  over  it.  Jim  may  be  a coward  for  aught  I know, 
but  if  he  is,  he  is  the  first  one  of  the  name  that  I ever  knew 
that  was.  His  father  was  no  coward.  He  helped  dig  this 
canal,  and  weighed  over  two  hundred  pounds,  and  could  take 
a barrel  of  whisky  by  the  chime  and  drink  out  of  the  bung- 
hole  and  no  man  dared  call  him  a coward.  You’ll  alter  your 
mind  about  Jim,  before  fall.’ 

“The  next  trip,  Jim  was  bowsman.  Before  we  got  to 
Beaver — we  were  bound  for  Pittsburg — the  boys  all  liked  him 
first-rate.  Before  we  got  back  to  Cleveland,  Jim  had  the 
ague.  He  left  my  boat  at  the  eleven-mile  lock,  and  struck 
across  country  to  his  home.” 

On  this,  his  first  trip,  he  had  his  first  fight.  He 
was  holding  his  “ setting-pole  ” against  his  shoul- 
d r;  Dave,  a hand,  was  standing  a short  distance 


2 2 LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OP 

away,  when  the  boat  took  a sudden  lunge,  the 
pole  slipped  from  the  young  man’s  shoulder  and 
flew  with  terrible  force  toward  Dave.  A loud  call 
“ Look  out,  Dave !”  was  not  in  time  to  warn  him, 
and  he  was  struck  a painful  blow  in  the  ribs. 
Furiously  enraged,  he  threatened  to  thrash  the 
offender  within  an  inch  of  his  life,  and  with  his 
head  down,  rushed  like  a mad  bull  at  Garfield. 
The  latter  took  in  the  situation  at  a glance,  and 
stepping  aside  he  waited  Dave’s  approach  with 
quiet  confidence.  When  he  was  close,  he  dealt 
him  a terrible  blow  under  the  ear,  that  felled  him 
to  the  deck  of  the  boat.  In  an  instant  he  was 
upon  him  with  his  clenched  fists  raised  to  strike. 

“ Pound  him,  him !”  called  out  Captain 

Letcher,  “ if  I interfere.  A man  who’ll  git 

mad  at  an  accident  orto  be  thrashed.”  Jim  didn’t 
strike.  He  saw  his  antagonist  was  helpless  and  he 
let  him  up.  Dave  and  he  arose,  shook  hands  and 
were  ever  after  fast  friends.  This  fight  was,  how- 
ever, but  preliminary  to  many  others  during  his 
three  months  on  the  tow-path,  as  the  boys  on  the 
canal  undertaking  to  bully  him,  it  was  constantly 
necessary  to  remind  them  that  he  wouldn’t  be 
bullied,  which  he  always  did  most  effectually  by 
the  virtue  of  his  toughened  muscles. 

Such  was  his  disposition,  capacity  and  attention 
to  duty  that  in  the  completion  of  the  first  round 
trip  he  had  learned  all  there  was  to  be  learned  on 
the  tow-path.  He  was  promptly  promoted  from 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


55 


driver  to  bowsman,  he  was  accorded  the  proud 
privilege  of  steering  the  boat  instead  of  steering 
the  mules. 

By  actual  count  during  his  first  trip  in  his  new 
position  he  fell  overboard  fourteen  times.  This 
was  serious.  The  malaria  of  the  canal  region 
would  in  all  probability  have  taken  hold  of  his 
system  in  due  time  anyhow,  but  these  frequent 
baths  greatly  helped  it  He  could  not  swim  a 
stroke,  and  aid  to  fish  him  out  was  not  always 
forthcoming.  One  dark  and  rainy  midnight  as  the 
Evening  Star  was  leaving  one  of  those  long  reaches 
of  slack  water  which  abounded  in  the  Ohio  and 
Pennsylvania  Canal  the  boy  was  called  out  of  his 
berth  to  take  his  turn  in  tending  bow-line.  Bund- 
ling out  of  bed,  his  eyes  only  half  opened,  he  took 
his  place  on  the  narrow  platform  below  the  bow 
deck  and  began  uncoiling  a rope  to  steady  the 
boat  through  a lock  it  was  approaching.  Sleepily 
and  slowly  he  unwound  the  coil  till  it  knotted 
and  caught  in  a narrow  cleft  in  the  edge  of  the 
deck.  He  gave  it  a sudden  pull,  but  it  held  fast, 
then  another  and  a stronger  pull  and  it  gave  way, 
but  sent  him  over  the  bow  of  the  Evening  Star 
into  the  water.  Down  he  went  into  the  dark 
night  and  still  darker  water  and  the  Evening 
Star  glided  on  to  bury  him  among  the  fishes.  No 
human  help  was  near;  God  only  could  save  him 
and  He  only  by  a miracle.  So  the  boy  thought  as 
he  went  down  saying  the  prayer  his  mother  had 


56 


LIFE  A-ND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


taught  him.  Instinctively  clutching  the  rope,  he 
sank  below  the  surface,  but  then  it  tightened  in 
his  grasp  and  held  firmly.  Seizing  it,  hand  over 
hand  he  drew  himself  up  on  deck  and  was  again 
a live  boy  among  the  living.  Another  kink  had 
caught  in  another  crevice  and  proved  his  salvation. 
Was  it  the  prayer  or  the  love  of  his  praying 
mother  that  saved  him?  The  boy  did  not  know 
but  long  after  the  boat  had  passed  the  lock 
he  stood  there  in  his  dripping  clothes  pondering 
the  question. 

Coiling  the  rope,  he  tried  to  throw  it  again  into 
the  crevice,  but  it  had  lost  the  knack  of  kinking. 
Many  times  he  tried — six  hundred  it  is  said — and 
then  set  down  and  reflected:  “I  have  thrown  this 
rope  six  hundred  times,  I might  throw  it  ten  times 
as  many  without  its  catching.  Ten  times  six 
hundred  are  six  thousand,  so  there  were  six  thou- 
sand chances  against  my  life.  Against  such  odds 
Providence  alone  could  have  saved  it.  Providence, 
therefore,  thinks  it  worth  saving,  and  if  that’s  so  I 
won’t  throw  it  away  on  a canal  boat.  I’ll  go  home, 
get  an  education,  and  become  a man.” 

Straightway  he  acted  on  the  resolution,  and  not 
long  after  stood  before  his  mother's  log  cottage  in 

o o o 

the  Cuyahoga  Wilderness.  It  was  late  at  night. 
The  stars  were  out,  and  the  moon  was  down,  but 
by  the  firelight  that  came  through  the  window, 
he  saw  his  mother  kneeling  before  an  open  book, 
which  lay  on  a chair  in  the  corner.  She  was  reach 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


57 

ing,  but  her  eyes  were  off  the  page  looking  up  to 
the  Invisible: 

“Oh  turn  unto  me,  and  have  mercy  upon  me! 
Give  Thy  strength  unto  Thy  servant,  and  save  the 
son  of  Thy  handmaid!” 

Then  she  read  what  sounded  like  a prayer,  but 
this  is  all  the  boy  remembered,  as  he  for  the  first 
time  comprehended  that  his  departure  had  crushed 
her. 

■ He  opened  the  door,  put  his  arm  about  her 
neck,  and  his  head  upon  her  bosom.  What  words 
he  said  we  do  not  know,  but  there,  by  her  side,  he 
gave  back  to  God  the  life  which  He  had  given. 
So,  the  mother’s  prayer  was  answered.  So  sprang 
up  the  seed  which  in  toil  and  tears  she  had 
planted. 

For  a short  time  he  remained  at  home,  com- 
forting; his  mother  and  endeavoringf  to  reconcile 
her  to  his  hopes  of  a sea-faring  life.  This  he  more 
than  accomplished,  and  was  just  about  to  take  his 
second  departure,  when  the  malaria  took  hold  of 
him  and  he  was  seized  in  thewice-like  grip  of  fever 
and  ague.  For  six  months  his.  strong  frame  was 
shaken.  He  lay  upon  the  bed,  the  “ague-cake” 
in  his  side.  Tenderly,  indefatigably,  his  mother 
nursed  him  during  his  days  of  suffering,  which  her 
care  and  his  iron  constitution,  at  last  permitted 
him  to  overcome.  He  was  still  determined,  how- 
ever, to  return  to  the  canal,  and  thence  to  the  lake 
and  ocean.  Mrs.  Garfield  well  knew  that  any  op- 


LlrE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


53 

position  would  be  useless,  so  she  argued  that  he 
had  better  attend  school,  for  a time,  at  least,  until 
he  was  able  to  resume  severe  labor,  and  thus  fit 
himself  to  teach  during  the  winter  months,  when 
he  could  not  sail.  He  reluctantly  consented  to  his 
mother’s  wishes.  So  came  about  a great  change — 
a change  that  worked  for  Jim  Garfield  a wonder- 
ful, far-differing  future  than  that  which  he  had 
woven  from  his  net  of  fancies,  by  the  aid  of  the 
“ Pirate’s  Own  Book.” 


External  View  of  the  White  House. 


East  Room  of  the  White  House. 


- kf' 


i 

■ A 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


59 


CHAPTER  V. 


INTER  FOLIO  FRUCTUS — FRUIT  BETWEEN  LEAVES. 


T"  TP  to  this  time,  in  our  hero’s  life,  there  are 
no  political  impressions  to  record.  The 
^ y boy  well  remembers  attending  a political 
meetincf  in  the  ever-memorable  Harrison  cam- 
paign,  but  merely  as  a curiosity  seeker.  Nor  is  it 
to  be  recorded  that  he  had  any  deep  religious 
emotions.  He  went  regularly,  when  at  home,  to 
die  Disciples’  meeting,  first  at  Bentleyville,  and 
later  at  the  school-house  near  his  home,  where  his 
Uncle  Boynton  had  organized  a congregation. 
The  polemics  of  religion  interested  him  deeply  at 
that  time,  but  his  heart  was  not  touched.  He  was 
familiar  with  Bible  texts,  and  was  often  a formid- 
able disputant.  One  day,  when  about  fifteen,  he 
was  digging  potatoes  for  Mr.  Patrick,  in  Orange, 
and  carrying  them  in  a basket  from  the  patch  to  the 
cellar.  Near  the  cellar  door  sat  a neighbor  talk- 
ing  to  the  farmer's  grown-up  daughter  about  the 
merits  of  the  sprinkling  and  immersion  contro- 
versy, and  arguing  that  sprinkling  was  baptism 
within  the  meaning  of  the  Scriptures.  James 
overheard  him  say  that  a drop  was  as  good  as  a 
fountain.  He  stopped  on  his  way  to  the  field,  and 
4 


6o 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


began  to  quote  this  text  from  Hebrews:  ‘“Let  us 
draw  near  with  a true  heart  in  full  assurance  of 
faith,  having  our  hearts  sprinkled  from  an  evil 
conscience.”’  “Ah,  you  see,”  said  the  man,  “it 
says  ‘sprinkled.’  ” “Wait  for  the  rest  of  the  text,” 
replied  James — “‘and  our  bodies  washed  with 
pure  water!’  Now,  how  can  you  wash  your  body 
in  a drop  of  water?”  and,  without  waiting  for  a 
reply,  he  hastened  off  to  the  potato  field. 

James  was  now  seventeen  years  of  age,  but  it 
would  seem  he  had  cherished  little  ambition  for 
anything  beyond  the  prospects  offered  by  that  la- 
borious life  of  a sailor  which  he  had  entered  upon. 
It  happened  that  during  the  winter  of  his  ague- 
illness  there  came  to  Orange,  to  teach  the  district 
school,  a young  man  named  Samuel  D.  Bates — 
now  a distinguished  minister  of  the  Gospel  at 
Marion,  Ohio — who  had  been  to  the  adjacent 
township  to  school.  He  had  attended  what  was 
then  a high  school,  and  known  as  the  Geauga 
Seminary,  and  he  and  Garfield  became  firm  friends. 
Bates  was  full  of  his  school  experiences,  and  find- 
ing his  new  acquaintance  so  intelligent,  with  true 
proselyting  spirit,  as  was  so  common  among  men 
in  the  backwoods  who  were  begianing  to  taste  the 
pleasures  of  education,  he  was  very  anxious  to 
take  back  several  new  students  with  him.  Gar- 
field listened  to  the  representations  of  his  eloquent 
friend  and  was  tempted.  He  was  too  weak  and 
ill  to  carry  out  his  plan  of  becoming  a sailor  at 


JAMES  A GARFIELD. 


61 

once,  and  he  finally  resolved  to  attend  the  high 
school  one  session,  and  postpone  sailing  until  the 
next  fall.  It  was  this  resolution  made  a major 
general,  a senator,  and  a President  of  him,  instead 
of  a common  sailor  before  the  mast,  on  a Lake 
Erie  schooner. 

Accordingly  he  joined  two  other  young  men, 
Wm.  Boynton  (his  cousin),  and  Orrin  PI.  Judd,  of 
Orange,  and  they  reached  Chester,  March  6th, 
1849,  and  rented  a room  in  an  unpainted  frame 
house  nearly  west  from  the  seminary  and  across  the 
street  from  it.  Garfield  had  seventeen  dollars  in 
his  pocket,  scraped  together  by  his  mother  and  his 
brother  Thomas.  They  took  provisions  along 
and  a cooking  stove,  and  a poor  widow  prepared 
their  meals  and  did  their  washing  for  an  absurdly 
small  sum.  The  academy  was  a two-story 
building,  and  the  school,  with  about  a hundred 
pupils  of  both  sexes,  drawn  from  the  farming 
country  around  Chester,  was  in  a flourishing  con- 
dition. It  had  a library  of  perhaps  one  hundred 
and  fifty  volumes — more  books  than  young  Gar- 
field had  ever  seen  before.  A venerable  gentle- 
man named  Daniel  Branch  was  principal  of  the 
school,  and  his  wife  was  his  chief  assistant.  Then 
there  were  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Coffin,  Mr.  Bigelow  and 
Miss  Abigail  Curtis.  Mrs.  Branch  had  introduced 
an  iconoclastic  grammar,  which  assailed  all  other 
systems  as  founded  on  a false  basis,  maintained 
that  but  was  a verb  in  the  imperative  mood,  and 


62 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


meant  be  out;  that  and  was  also  a verb  in  the  im- 
perative mood,  and  meant  add;  and  tried  in  other 
ways  to  upset  the  accepted  etymology.  Garfield 
had  been  reared  in  “Kirkham”  at  the  district 
school,  and  refused  to  accept  the  new  system. 
The  grammar  classes  that  term  were  a continuous 
battle  between  him  and  the  teacher.  Here, 
though  he  did  not  know  it  at  the  time,  he  first  saw 
his  future  wife.  Lijcretia  Randolph,  a quiet,  stu- 
dious girl  in  her  seventeenth  year,  was  among  the 
students.  There  was  no  association  between  the 
two,  however,  save  in  classes.  James  was  awk- 
ward and  bashful,  and  contemplated  the  girls  at  a 
distance  as  a superior  order  of  beings. 

He  bought,  soon  after  arriving,  the  second  alge- 
bra he  had  ever  seen.  He  studied  it  as  well  as 
natural  philosophy.  At  the  close  of  the  spring 
term  he  made  his  first  public  speech.  It  was  a 
six  minutes’  oration  at  the  annual  exhibition,  de- 
livered in  connection  with  a literary  society  to 
which  he  belonged,  and  he  recorded  in  a diary 
that  he  kept  at  the  time  that  he  “was  very  much 
scared,”  and  “very  glad  of  a short  curtain  across 
the  platform  that  hid  my  shaking  legs  from  the 
audience.”  Amongr  the  books  he  read  at  this 

o 

time  was  the  autobiography  of  Henry  C.  Wright, 
and  the  determined  lad  was  much  impressed  with 
the  author’s  account  of  how  he  lived  in  Scotland 
on  bread  and  milk  and  crackers,  and  how  well  he 
was  all  the  time,  and  how  hard  he  could  study. 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


63 


Fired  with  the  idea,  he  told  his  cousin  that  they 
had  been  too  extravagant,  and  that  another  term 
they  must  board  themselves  and  adopt  Wright’s 
. diet. 

At  the  close  of  the  session  he  returned  to  Orange, 
helped  his  brother  build  a barn  for  his  mother,  and 
then  went  at  the  hard  work  of  earning  money — 
for  from  the  time  he  left  Chester  until  to-day  he 
has  always  paid  his  way — to  continue  his  studies 
at  Chester  when  the  fall  term  began.  He  worked 
at  harvesting,  and  secured  enough  to  guarantee 
his  continuance  at  the  Geauga  Seminary,  and  to 
pay  off  some  of  the  doctor’s  bills  incurred  during 
his  protracted  illness  of  the  winter  before.  On 
his  return  to  the  seminary  the  “boarding  them- 
selves” experiment  was  not  repeated.  An  arrange- 
ment was  entered  into  with  Heman  Woodworth, 
a carpenter  of  Chester,  to  live  at  his  house  and 
have  lodging,  board,  washing,  fuel  and  light  for 
one  dollar  and  six  cents  a week,  and  this  sum  he. 
expected  to  earn  by  helping  the  carpenter  on 
Saturdays  and  at  odd  hours  on  school  days.  The 
carpenter  was  building  a two-story  house  on  the 
east  side  of  the  road  a little  way  south  of  the  sem- 
inary grounds,  and  James’s  first  work  was  to  get 
out  siding-  at  two  cents  a board.  The  first  Satur- 
day  he  planed  fifty-one  boards  and  so  earned  one 
dollar  and  two  cents,  the  most  money  he  had  ever 
got  for  a day’s  work.  He  began  that  fall  the 
study  of  Greek.  That  term  he  paid  his  way, 


64 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


bought  a few  books,  and  returned  home  with 
three  dollars  in  his  pocket.  He  now  thought  him- 
self competent  to  teach  a country  school,  but  in 
two  days’  tramping  through  Cuyahoga  County, 
failed  to  find  employment.  Some  schools  had  al- 
ready engaged  teachers,  and  where  there  was 
still  a vacancy  the  trustees  thought  him  too  young. 
He  returned  to  his  mother  completely  discouraged, 
and  greatly  humiliated  by  the  rebuffs  he  had  met 
with.  He  made  a resolution  that  he  would  never 
again  ask  for  a position  of  any  sort,  and  the  resolu- 
tion was  kept,  for  every  public  place  he  has  since 
had  has  come  to  him  unsought. 

Next  morning,  while  still  in  the  depths  of  de- 
spondency, he  heard  a man  call  to  his  mother  from 
the  road : “ Widow  Gaffield,”  (a  local  corruption 
of  the  name  Garfield),  “where’s  your  boy  Jim?  I 
wonder  if  he  wouldn’t  like  to  teach  our  school  at 
the  Ledge  ?”  James  went  out  and  found  a neigh- 
bor from  a district  a mile  away,  where  the  school 
had  been  broken  up  for  two  winters  by  the  row- 
dyism of  the  big  boys.  He  said  be  would  like  to 
try  the  school,  but  before  deciding  must  consult 
his  uncle,  Amos  Boynton.  That  evening  there 
was  a family  consultation.  Uncle  Amos  pon- 
dered over  the  matter  and  finally  said:  “"You  go 
and  try  it.  You  will  go  into  that  school  as  the 
boy  ‘Jim’  Gaffield;  see  that  you  come  out  as  Mr. 
Garfield,  the  schoolmaster.”  The  young  man 
mustered  the  school  in  the  school-room,  after  a 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


65 


hard  tussle  with  the  bully  of  the  district,  who  re- 
sented a flooforino-  and  tried  to  brain  the  teacher 
with  a billet  of  wood.  No  problem  in  his  after 
life  ever  took  so  much  absorbing  thought  and 
study  as  that  of  making  the  Ledge  school  success- 
ful. He  devised  all  sorts  of  plans  for  making 
study  interesting  to  the  children ; joined  in  the 
out-door  sports  of  the  big  boys,  read  aloud  even- 
ings to  the  parents  where  he  boarded,  and  won 
the  hearts  of  old  and  young.  Before  spring  he 
CTot  the  name  of  the  best  schoolmaster  who  ever 

o 

taught  at  the  Ledsfe.  His  wacres  were  “ twelve 
dollars  a month  and  found,”  and  he  “boarded 
around  ” in  the  families  of  the  pupils. 

He  returned  to  the  seminary  in  the  spring 
(1850)  to  find  the  principal,  Mr.  Branch,  had  left 
and  was  succeeded  by  Spencer  J.  Fowler,  while 
John  B.  Beach  had  stepped  into  the  shoes  of  the 
crusty,  iconoclastic  grammarian,  Mrs.  Branch.  Dur- 
ing this,  his  third  term  at  the  seminary,  he  and  his 
cousin  Henry  boarded  themselves  and  put  in 
practice  Henry  C.  Wright’s  dietary  scheme.  At 
the  end  of  six  weeks  the  boys  found  their  ex- 
penses for  food  had  been  just  thirty-one  cents  per 
week  apiece.  Henry  thought  they  were  living  too 
poorly  for  good  health,  and  they  agreed  to  in- 
crease their  outlay  to  fifty  cents  a week  apiece. 
James  had,  up  to  this  time,  looked  upon  a college 
course  as  wholly  beyond  his  reach,  but  he  met  a 
college  graduate  who  told  him  he  was  mistaken 


66 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OR 


in  supposing  that  only  the  sons  of  rich  parents 
were  able  to  take  such  a course.  A poor  boy 
could  get  through,  he  said,  but  it  would  take  a 
long  time  and  very  hard  work.  The  usual  time 
was  four  years  in  preparatory  studies  and  four  in 
the  regular  college  course.  James  thought  that 
by  working  part  of  the  time  to  earn  money,  he 
could  get  through  in  twelve  years.  He  then  re- 
solved to  bend  all  his  energies  to  the  one  purpose 
of  getting  a college  education.  From  this  reso- 
lution he  never  swerved  a hair’s  breadth.  Until 
it  was  accomplished,  it  was  the  one  overmastering 
idea  of  his  life.  The  tenacity  and  single-hearted- 
ness with  which  he  clung  to  it,  and  the  sacrifices 
he  made  to  realize  It,  unquestionably  exerted  a 
powerful  influence  in  moulding  and  solidifying  his 
character. 

In  March  of  this  year,  after  having  exercised  his 
f"11  freedom  in  reaching  conclusions,  he  joined  his 
uncle’s  church,  the  Church  of  the  Disciples,  or 
Campbellites,  and  was  baptized  in  a little  stream 
that  flows  into  the  Chagrin  River.  His  conver- 
sion was  brought  about  by  a quiet,  sweet-tempered 
man,  who  held  a series  of  meetings  in  the  school- 
house  near  the  Garfield  homestead,  and  told  in 
the  plainest  manner,  and  with  the  most  straight- 
forward earnestness,  the  story  of  the  Gospel.  The 
creed  he  then  professed,  and  which  was  then  held 
by  few,  but  now  by  about  half  a million  followers, 
is  as  follows : 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


6 7 


1.  We  call  ourselves  Christians  or  Disciples. 

2.  We  believe  in  God  the  Father. 

3.  We  believe  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  the  living 
God,  and  our  only  Saviour.  We  regard  the  divinity  of 
Christ  as  the  fundamental  truth  in  the  Christian  system. 

4.  We  believe  in  the  Holy  Spirit,  both  as  to  its  agency  in 
conversion  and  as  an  indweller  in  the  heart  of  the  Christian. 

5.  We  accept  both  the  Old  and  New  Testament  Scriptures 
as  the  inspired  word  of  God. 

6.  We  believe  in  the  future  punishment  of  the  wicked  and 
the  future  reward  of  the  righteous. 

7.  We  believe  that  Diety  is  a prayer-hearing  and  prayer- 
answering God. 

8.  We  observe  the  institution  of  the  Lord^s  Supper  on 
every  Lord’s  Day.  To  this  table  it  is  our  practice  neither  to 
invite  nor  debar.  We  say  it  is  the  Lord’s  Supper  for  all  the 
Lord’s  children. 

9.  We  plead  for  the  union  of  all  God’s  people  on  the  Bible 
and  the  Bible  alone. 

10.  The  Bible  is  our  only  creed. 

11.  We  maintain  that  all  the  ordinances  of  the  Gospel 
should  be  observed  as  they  were  in  the  days  of  the  Apostles. 

When  the  summer  came  he  went  again  to  his 
old  trade,  and  was  happy  among  the  hammers  and 
planes,  the  saw  and  chisel.  He  earned  a fair 
amount,  and  returned  in  the  fall  to  the  seminary. 
Durinsf  this  fall  he  entered  a school  of  book-keep- 
ing,  penmanship  and  elocution,  kept  by  Dr.  Alonzo 
Harlow,  located  at  Chagrin  Falls,  Cuyahoga 
County,  Ohio.  Garfield  was  the  doctor’s  janitor, 
paying  his  tuition  in  that  manner,  and  at  the  same 
time  earning  his  board  of  a neighboring  farmer  by 
doing  chores  about  the  place.  It  was  here  that 


63 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


lie  took  his  first  lessons  in  elocution,  and  received 
the  first  real  encouragement  to  fit  himself  for  pub- 
lic life. 

In  the  winter  he  taught  a village  school  in 

o o 

Warrensville,  receiving  sixteen  dollars  a month 
and  board.  One  of  the  boys  under  his  charge 
at  this  school  desired  to  study  geometry.  Gar- 
field had  never  got  so  far  in  mathematics,  but 
he  bought  a text-book,  studied  nights,  kept  ahead 
of  his  pupil,  and  took  him  through  without  his 
once  suspecting  that  the  master  was  not  an  expert 
in  the  science.  This  was  the  last  of  Garfield  in 
Chester  or  its  neighborhood.  Writing  many  years 
afterward  on  the  time  spent  here,  he  said  : 

“ I remember  with  great  satisfaction  the  work  which  was  ac- 
-complished  for  me  at  Chester.  It  marked  the  most  decisive 
change  in  my  life.  While  there  I formed  a definite  purpose 
and  plan  to  complete  a college  course.  It  is  a great  point 
gained,  when  a young  man  makes  up  his  mind  to  devote 
several  years  to  the  accomplishment  of  a definite  work. 
With  the  educational  facilities  now  afforded  in  our  country, 
no  young  man,  who  has  good  health  and  is  master  of  his  own 
actions,  can  be  excused  for  not  obtaining  a good  education. 
Poverty  is  very  inconvenient,  but  it  is  a fine  spur  to  activity, 
and  may  be  made  a rich  blessing.” 

In  the  spring  he  went  with  his  mother  to  visit 
relatives  in  Muskingum  County,  and  rode  for  the 
first  time  in  a railroad  train.  The  Cleveland  and 
Columbus  Railroad  was  then  just  opened,  and  he 
went  to  Columbus  from  Orange.  Hon.  Gamaliel 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


69 


Kent,  then  representative  from  Geauga,  showed 
him  over  the  State  capital  and  the  legislative 
halls.  From  Columbus  Garfield  and  his  mother 
went  by  stage  to  Zanesville,  and  then  floated 
eighteen  miles  in  a skiff  down  the  Muskingum 
River  to  their  destination.  While  there,  James 
taught  a spring  school  in  a log  building  on  Back 
Run,  in  Harrison  Township.  The  coal  burned  in 
the  school-house  he  was  obliged  to  dig  from  a 
bank  in  the  rear  of  the  house. 

In  the  summer  he  returned  with  his  mother  to 
Orange.  He  decided  to  go  on  with  his  education 
at  a new  school,  established  by  the  Disciples  the 
year  before  at  Hiram,  Portage  County,  a cross- 
roads  village,  twelve  miles  from  any  town  or  raib 
road.  His  religious  feeling  naturally  called  him 
to  the  young  institution  of  his  own  denomination. 
In  August,  1851,  he  arrived  at  Hiram,  and  found 
a plain  brick  building  standing  in  the  midst  of  a 
cornfield,  with  perhaps  a dozen  farm-houses,  near 
enough  for  boarding  places  for  the  students.  It 
was  a lonely,  isolated  place,  on  a high  ridge  divid- 
ing the  waters  flowing  into  Lake  Erie  from  those 
running  southward  to  the  Ohio.  The  Rev.  A.  S. 
Hayden  was  the  principal ; Thomas  Munnell  and 
Norman  Dunshee  were  teachers;  the  latter  teach- 
ing mathematics  and  Greek.  Recently  General 
Garfield  said,  in  an  address  : 

“A  few  days  after  the  beginning  of  the  term,  I saw  a class 
of  three  reciting  in  mathematics — geometry,  I think  1 had 


70 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


never  seen  a geometry,  and,  regarding  both  teacher  and  class 
with  a feeling  of  reverential  awe  for  the  intellectual  height  to 
which  they  had  climbed,  I studied  their  faces  so  closely  that 
I seem  to  see  them  now  as  distinctly  as  I saw  them  then. 
And  it  has  been  my  good  fortune  since  that  time  to  claim 
them  all  as  intimate  friends.  The  teacher  was  Thomas  Mun- 
nell,  and  the  members  of  his  class  were  William  B.  Hazen, 
George  A.  Baker  and  Almeda  A.  Booth.” 

He  lived  in  a room  with  four  other  pupils,  stud- 
ied harder  than  ever,,  having'  now  his  college  pro- 
ject fully  anchored  in  his  mind,  got  through  his  six 
books  of  Caesar  that  term  and  made  good  pro- 
gress in  Greek.  He  met,  on  entering  the  institute, 
a woman,  who  exercised  a strong  influence  on  his 
intellectual  life,  Miss  Almeda  Booth — the  Margaret 
Fuller  of  the  West — a teacher  in  the  school.  She 
was  nine  years  older  than  the  young  student,  pos- 
sessed a mind  of  remarkable  range  and  grasp,  and 
a character  of  unusual  sweetness,  purity  and 
strength.  She  became  his  guide  and  companion 
in  his  studies,  his  mental  and  moral  heroine,  and 
his  unselfish,  devoted  friend. 

When*the  winter  came  he  returned  to  Warrens- 
ville,  and  taught  school  again,  earning  eighteen 
dollars  a month.  Spring  found  him  again  ^ at 
Hiram,  and  during  this  term,  in  company  with 
Corydon  E.  Fuller,  he  aided  Miss  Booth  in  writing 
a colloquy  for  the  public  exercises  at  the  close  of 
the  school  year.  During  the  ensuing  summer 
(1852),  he  helped  to  build  a house  in  the  village, 
planing  the  sides  and  shingling  the  roof  himself. 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


7 i 


In  the  fall,  when  the  institute  opened,  one  of  the 
tutors  in  the  department  of  English  and  ancient 
languages  fell  ill,  and  James  Garfield  was  ad- 
vanced to  his  place.  Henceforward  he  taught  and 
studied  at  the  same  time,  his  eye  all  the  while  fixed 
upon  the  bright  beacon  of  a college  education. 
He  began  Zenophon’s  Anabasis  among  other 
things.  That  winter  he  became  a member  of 
President  Hayden’s  household. 

The  summer  vacation  of  1853  only  brought 
harder  work.  In  company  of  eleven  students,  he 
formed  a class,  and  hired  Professor  Dunshee  to 
give  them  private  lessons  for  one  month.  During 
that  time  he  mastered  the  Pastorals  of  Virgil,  the 
Georgies  and  Buccolics  entire,  and  the  first  six 
books  of  Homer’s  Illiad,  accompanied  by  a thor- 
ough drill  in  the  Latin  and  Greek  grammar  at  each 
recitation.  He  was  also  a member  of  an  active 
literary  society  during  this  month.  When  the  fall 
term  was  fairly  under  way,  Garfield  went  at  it  again, 
to  hasten  his  preparation  for  college.  He,  with 
some  other  students,  formed  a Translation  Society, 
that  met  at  Miss  Booth’s  rooms  two  evenings  a 
week,  and  made  a joint  translation  with  her  of 
the  Book  of  Romans.  The  work  done  was  more 
thorough  than  rapid.  An  entry  in  Garfield’s 
diary  for  December  15th,  1853,  reads:  “Transla- 
tion Society  sat  three  hours  in  Miss  Booth’s  rooms, 
and  agreed  upon  the  translation  of  nine  verses.” 
To  this  class,  Professor  Dunshee  contributed  some 


7 2 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


essays  on  the  German  commentators,  De  Wette  and 
Tholock.  During  the  winter  (1853—54),  Garfield 
read  the  whole  of  “Demosthenes  on  the  Crown.” 

When  he  went  to  Hiram  he  had  studied  Latin 
only  six  weeks,  and  just  begun  Greek;  and  was, 
therefore,  just  in  a condition  to  fairly  begin  the 
four  years’  preparatory  course,  ordinarily  taken  by 
students  before  enteringf  college  in  the  freshman 
class.  Yet,  in  three  years’  time,  he  fitted  himself 
to  enter  the  junior  class,  two  years  further  along, 
and,  at  the  same  time,  earned  his  own  living,  thus 
crowding  six  years  study  into  three,  and  teaching 
for  support  at  the  same  time.  To  accomplish  it, 
he  shut  the  whole  world  out  from  his  mind,  save 
that  little  portion  of  it  within  the  range  of  his 
studies;  knowing  nothing  of  politics  or  the  news 
of  the  day,  reading  no  light  literature,  and  enga- 
ging in  no  social  recreations  that  took  his  time 
from  his  books. 

The  college  question  was  now  before  him.  But 
where  should  he  go  ? He  had  recently  read  some 
lectures  by  President  Hopkins,  of  Williams,  that 
had  made  him  think  favorably  of  that  institution. 
But  he  had  originally  intended  to  enter  Bethany 
College,  the  institution  sustained  by  the  church  of 
which  he  was  a member,  and  presided  over  by 
Alexander  Campbell,  the  man  above  all  others  he 
had  been  taught  to  admire  and  revere.  A fa- 
miliar letter  shall  tell  us  how  he  reasoned  and 
acted : 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


73 


“ There  are  three  reasons  why  I have  decided  not  to  go  to 
Bethany  : ist.  The  course  of  study  is  not  so  extensive  or 
thorough  as  in  Eastern  colleges.  2d.  Bethany  leans  too 
heavily  toward  slavery.  3d.  I am  the  son  of  Disciple 
parents,  am  one  myself,  and  have  had  but  little  acquaintance 
with  people  of  other  views,  and,  having  always  lived  in  the 
West,  I think  it  will  make  me  more  liberal,  both  in  my  religi- 
ous and  general  views  and  sentiments,  to  go  into  a new  circle, 
where  I shall  be  under  new  influences.  These  considerations 
led  me  to  conclude  to  go  to  some  New  England  college.  I 
therefore  wrote  to  the  presidents  of  Brown  University,  Yale 
and  Williams,  setting  forth  the  amount  of  study  I had  done, 
and  asking  how  long  it  would  take  me  to  finish  their  course. 

“Their  answers  are  now  before  me.  All  tell  me  I can 
graduate  in  two  years.  They  are  all  brief,  business  notes,  but 
President  Hopkins  concludes  with  this  sentence:  ‘If  you 
come  here  we  shall  be  glad  to  do  what  we  can  for  you.’ 
Other  things  being  so  nearly  equal,  this  sentence,  which 
seems  to  be  a kind  of  friendly  grasp  of  the  hand,  has  settled 
the  question  for  me.  I shall  start  for  Williams  next  week.” 

Some  points  in  this  letter  of  a young-  man  about 
to  st^art  away  from  home  to  college  will  strike  the 
reader  as  remarkable.  Nothing  could  show  more 
mature  judgment  about  the  matter  in  hand  than 
the  wrrse  anxiety  to  get  out  from  die  Disciples’  in- 
fluence and  see  something  of  other  men  and  other 
opinions.  It  was  notable  that  one  trained  to  look 
upon  Alexander  Campbell  as  the  master  intellect 
of  the  churches  of  the  day  should  revolt  against 
studying  in  his  college,  because  it  leaned  too 
strongly  to  slavery.  And  in  the  final  turning  of 
the  decision  upon  the  little  friendly  commonplace 
that  closed  one  of  the  letters,  we  catch  a glimpse 


74 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


of  the  warm,  sympathetic  nature  of  the  man, 
which  much  and  wide  experience  of  the  world  in 
after  years  has  never  hardened. 

So,  in  the  fall  of  1854,  the  pupil  of  Geauga 
Seminary  and  of  the  Hiram  Institute  received 
admission  at  the  venerable  doors  of  Williams. 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD . 


75 


CHAPTER  VI. 


GARFIELD  AT  WILLIAMS. 


w 


HEN  Garfield  reached  Williams  Col- 


lege, in  June,  1854,  he  had  about  three 
hundred  dollars,  which  he  had  saved 


while  teaching  at  Hiram ; and  with  this  amount 
he  hoped  to  get  through  the  first  year.  The  col- 
lege year  had  not  quite  closed,  a few  weeks  re- 
mained, which  he  utilized  by  attending  the  recita- 
tions of  the  sophomore  class,  in  order  to  become 
familiar  with  the  methods  of  the  professors  before 
testing  his  ability  to  pass  the  examinations  of  the 
junior  year.  He  had  a keen  sense  of  his  want  of 
the  advantages  of  society  and  general  culture 
which  the  students  with  whom  he  came  in  contact 
had  enjoyed  all  their  lives,  but  his  homely  man- 
ners and  Western  garb  did  not  subject  him  to  any 
slights  or  mortifications.  The  spirit  of  the  col- 
lege was  generous  and  manly.  No  student  was 
estimated  by  the  clothes  he  wore  ; no  one  was 
snubbed  because  he  was  poor.  The  intellectual 
force,  originality  and  immense  powers  of  study 
possessed  by  the  new-comer  from  Ohio  were  soon 
recognized  by  his  classmates,  and  he  was  shown 
as  much  respect,  cordiality  and  companionship  as 
if  he  had  been  the  son  of  a millionaire.  His  old 


5 


LIFE  AMD  -PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


mates  recall  him  as  a big  young  man,  quite  Ger- 
man  in  appearance — so  strong  is  good  Saxon 
blood,  after  centuries  of  exile  from  the  Saxon 
land — blonde  and  bearded,  strongdimbed,  serious, 
but  sociable,  and  with  the  Western  easy-going 
manners,  ready  wit  and  broad  sympathy  going- 
out  toward  all  his  fellows.  The  boys  called  him 
“ Old  Gar,”  so  readily  did  he  assume  the  patri- 
archate of  the  college  in  the  brief  two  years  he 
was  there.  He  boarded  in  club,  and  did  not  smoke 
or  drink. 

The  beauty  of  the  scenery  around  Mechanics- 
ville  made  a strong  impression  upon  his  fancy. 
He  had  never  seen  mountains  before.  The  spurs 
of  the  Green  Hills,  which  reach  down  from  Ver- 
mont and  inclose  the  little  college  town  in  their 
arms,  were  to  the  young  man  from  the  monoto- 
nous landscapes  of  the  Western  Reserve  a won- 
derful revelation  of  grandeur  and  beauty.  He 
climbed  Greylock  and  explored  all  the  glens  and 
valleys  of  the  neighborhood. 

The  examination  for  entering  the  junior  class 
was  passed  without  trouble.  Although  self-taught, 
save  for  the  help  of  his  friend  and  companion  in 
his  studies,  Miss  Booth,  his  knowledge  of  the 
books  prescribed  was  thorough.  A long  summer 
vacation  followed  his  examination,  and  this  time 
he  employed  in  the  college  library,  the  first  large 
collection  of  books  lie  had  ever  seen.  His  ab- 
sorption in  the  double  work  of  teaching  and  fitting 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


77 

himself  for  college  had  hitherto  left  him  little  time 
for  general  reading,  and  the  library  opened  a new 
world  of  profit  and  delight.  He  had  never  read  a 
line  of  Shakespeare,  save  a few  extracts  in  the 
school  reading-books.  From  the  whole  range  of 
fiction  he  had  voluntarily  shut  himself  off  at 
eighteen,  when  he  joined  the  church,  having 
serious  views  of  the  business  of  life,  and  imbibing 
the  notion,  then  almost  universal  among  religious 
people  in  the  country  districts  of  the  West,  that 
novel  reading  was  a waste  of  time,  and,  therefore, 
a simple,  worldly  sort  of  intellectual  amusement. 
When  turned  loose  in  the  college  library,  with 
weeks  of  leisure  to  range  at  will  over  its  shelves, 
he  began  with  Shakespeare,  which  he  read  through 
from  cover  to  cover.  Then  he  went  to  English 
history  and  poetry.  Of  the  poets,  Tennyson 
pleased  him  best,  which  is  not  to  be  wondered  at, 
for  the  influence  of  the  Laureate  was  then  at  its 
height.  He  learned  whole  poems  by  heart,  and 
can  repeat  them  now. 

After  he  had  been  six  or  eight  months  at  col- 
lege,  and  had  devoured  an  immense  amount  of 
serious  reading,  he  began  to  suffer  from  intel- 
lectual dyspepsia.  He  found  his  mind  was  not 
assimilating  what  he  read,  and  would  often  refuse 
to  be  held  down  to  the  printed  page.  Then  he 
revised  his  notions  about  books  of  fiction,  and 
concluded  that  romance  is  as  valuable  a part  of 
intellectual  food  . as  salad  of  a dinner.  He  pre- 


78 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAPEER  OF 


scribed  for  himself  one  novel  a month,  and  on  this 
medicine  his  mind  speedily  recuperated  and  got 
back  all  its  old  elasticity.  Cooper’s  Leatherstock- 
ing Tales  were  the  first  novels  he  read,  and  after, 
ward  W alter  Scott.  An  English  classmate  intro- 
duced him  to  the  works  of  Dickens  and  Thack- 
eray. He  formed  a habit  in  those  days  of  making 
notes  , while  he  read  of  everything  he  did  not 
clearly  understand,  such  as  historical  references, 
mythological  allusions,  technical  terms,  etc.  These 
notes  he  would  take  time  to  look  up  afterward  in 
the  library,  so  as  to  leave  nothing  obscure  on  his 
mind  concerning  the  books  he  absorbed.  The  thor- 
oughness  he  displayed  in  his  work  in  after  life 
was  thus  begun  at  that  early  period,  and  applied 
to  every  subject  he  took  hold  of.  The  ground  his 
mind  traversed  he  carefully  cleared  and  plowed 
before  leaving  it  for  fresh  fields. 

Garfield  studied  Latin  and  Greek  and  took  up 
German  as  an  elective  study.  One  year  at  Wil- 
liams completed  his  classical  studies,  on  which 
he  was  far  advanced  before  he  came  there. 
German  he  carried  on  successfully  until  he  could 
read  Goethe  and  Schiller  readily  and  acquired 
considerable  fluency  in  the  conversational  use  of 
the  language.  He  entered  with  zeal  into  the  lit- 
erary work  of  the  college,  was  a vigorous  debater 
and  a member  of  the  Philologian  Society,  of  which 
he  was  president  in  1855—56.  The  influ- 
ence of  the  mind  and  character  of  Dr.  Hopkins 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


79 


was  seriously  felt  in  shaping  the  direction  of  Gar- 
field’s thought  and  his  views  of  life.  He  often 
says  that  the  good  president  rose  like  a sun  before 
him,  and  enlightened  his  whole  mental  and  moral 
nature.  His  preaching  and  teaching  were  a con- 
stant inspiration  to  the  young  Ohio  student  and 
lie  became  the  centre  of  his  college  life,  the  object 
of  his  hero-worship. 

At  the  end  of  the  fall  term  of  1854,  Garfield 
enjoyed  a winter  vacation  of  two  months  which  he 
spent  in  North  Pownal,  Vt.,  teaching  a writing 
class  in  the  same  school-house  where  a year  be- 
fore Chester  A.  Arthur  was  the  principal.  Gar- 
field wrote  a broad,  handsome  hand,  a hand  that 
was  strongly  individual,  and  the  envy  of  the  boys 
and  girls  who  tried  to  imitate  it. 

At  the  end  of  the  college  year  in  June,  Garfield 
returned  home  to  see  his  mother,  who  was  then 
living  with  a daughter  at  Solon.  His  money  was 
exhausted  and  he  had  to  adopt  one  of  two  plans, 
either  to  borrow  enough  to  take  him  through  to 
graduation  at  the  end  of  the  next  year  or  set  to 
work  as  a teacher  until  he  earned  the  requisite 
amount;  and  so  break  the  continuity  of  his  col- 
lege course.  He,  however,  did  neither,  but  in- 
sured his  life  for  eight  hundred  dollars,  his  brother 
Thomas  undertaking  to  furnish  the  funds  on  in- 
stalments,  but,  being  eventually  unable,  the  obliga- 
tion was  assumed  by  Dr.  Robinson,  of  Hiram,  who 
advanced  the  money  and  took  the  insurance 
policy  as  security. 


8o 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


He  returned  to  Williams  in  the  fall,  and  was 
again  active  in  his  contributions  to  the  College 
Magazine,  the  Williams  Quarterly.  Of  his  con- 
tributions we  cannot  quote  as  liberally  as  we  would 
like.  We  find  three  poetical  productions.  One 
is  a political  satire,  called  “ Sam,”  and  contains 
the  lines : 

“ ’Twas  noon  of  night,  and  by  his  flickering  lamp, 

That  gloated  o'er  his  dingy  room  and  damp, 

With  glassy  eye  and  haggard  face  there  sat, 

A disappointed,  worn-out  Democrat ; 

Ilis  eloquence  all  wasted — plans  all  failed, 

Ilis  spurious  coin  fast  to  the  counter  nailed, 

Deception’s  self  was  now  at  length  deceived, 

His  lies,  political,  no  more  believed.” 

Another,  evidently  a squid  at  some  college 
prank,  and  is  modeled  on  Tennyson.  It  is  en- 
titled “ The  Charge  of  the  Tight  Brigade.”  The 
first  verse  leads  off : 

Bottles  to  right  of  them, 

Bottles  to  left  of  them, 

Bottles  in  front  of  them, 

Fizzled  and  sundered, 

Ent’ring  with  shout  and  yell, 

Boldly  they  drank  and  well, 

They  caught  the  Tartar  then  ; 

Oh,  what  a perfect  sell ! 

Sold— the  half  hundred. 

Grinned  all  the  dentals  bare, 

Swung  all  their  caps  in  air, 

Uncorking  bottles  there, 

Watching  the  Freshmen  while 
Every  one  wondered; 
riunged  in  tobacco  smoke, 

With  many  a desperate  stroke, 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


Dozens  of  bottles  broke, 

Then  they  came  bach,  but  not, 

But  not  the  half  hundred." 

The  third  contribution,  in  verse,  we  reproduce 
entire.  It  is  entitled  “Memory:” 

“ ’Tis  beauteous  night;  the  stars  look  brightly  down 
Upon  the  earth,  decked  in  her  robe  of  snow. 

No  light  gleams  at  the  window  save  my  own, 

Which  gives  its  cheer  to  midnight  and  to  me. 

And  now  with  noiseless  step  sweet  Memory  comes. 

And  leads  me  gently  through  her  twilight  realms. 

What  poet’s  tuneful  lyre  has  ever  sung, 

Or  delicatest  pencil  e'er  portrayed 

The  enchanted  shadowy  land  where  Memory  dwells  ? 

It  has  its  valleys,  cheerless,  lone  and  drear, 

Dark-shaded  by  the  mournful  cypress  tree. 

And  yet  its  sunlit  mountain-tops  are  bathed 
In  heaven’s  own  blue.  Upon  its  craggy  cliffs, 

Robed  in  the  dreamy  light  of  distant  years, 

Are  clustered  joys  serene  of  other  days; 

Upon  its  gently-sloping  hillsides  bend 
The  weeping-willows  o’er  the  sacred  dust 
Of  dear  departed  ones;  and  yet  in  that  land, 

Where’er  our  footsteps  fall  upon  the  shore, 

They  that  were  sleeping  rise  from  out  the  dust 
Of  death’s  long,  silent  years,  and  round  us  stand, 

As  erst  they  did  before  the  prison  tomb 
Received  their  clay  wit’' in  its  voiceless  halls. 

The  heavens  that  bend  above  that  land  are  hung 
With  clouds  of  various  hues : some  dark  and  chill, 

Surcharged  with  sorrow,  cast  their  sombre  shade 
Upon  the  sunny,  joyous  land  below ; 

Others  are  floating  through  the  dreamy  air; 

White  as  the  falling  snow  their  margins  tinged 
With  gold  and  crimson  hues;  their  shadows  fall 
Upon  the  flowery  meads  and  sunny  slopes, 

Soft  as  the  shadows  of  an  angel’s  wing. 

When  the  rough  battle  of  the  day  is  done, 

And  evening’s  peace  falls  gently  on  the  heart, 

I bound  away  across  the  noisy  years, 


82 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


^ (Jnto  the  utmost  verge  of  Memory’s  land, 

Where  earth  and  sky  in  dreamy  distance  meet, 

And  Memory  dim  with  dark  oblivion  joins ; 

Where  woke  the  first-remembered  sounds  that  fell 
Upon  the  ear  in  childhood’s  early  morn ; 

And  wandering  thence,  along  the  rolling  years, 

I see  the  shadow  of  my  former  self 
Gliding  from  childhood  up  to  man’s  estate. 

The  path  of  youth  winds  down  through  many  a vale 
And  on  the  brink  of  many  a dread  abyss. 

From  out  whose  darkness  comes  no  ray  of  light, 

Save  that  a phantom  dances  o’er  the  gulf, 

And  beckons  toward-the  verge.  Again  the  path 
Leads  o’er  a summit  where  the  sunbeams  fall ; 

And  thus  in  light  and  shade,  sunshine  and  gloom, 

Sorrow  and  joy,  this  life-path  leads  along.” 

The  prose  contributions  were  many,  and  upon 
many  subjects.  During  his  second  year,  1855—56, 
he  formed,  with  W.  R.  Baxter,  Henry  E.  Knox,  E. 
Clarence  Smith  and  John  Tatlock,  the  editors  for 
the  class  of  ’56.  In  the  opening  number  of  his 
year,  September,  1855,  he  supplied  the  Editor’s 
Table.  How  pleasantly  he  voices  the  trouble 
every  newspaper  editor  or  writer  has  gone  through, 
when  he  says  in  his  opening  lines : 

“It  is,  indeed,  an  uninviting  task  to  bubble  up  sentiment 
and  elaborate  thought  in  obedience  to  corporate  laws ; and 
not  unfrequently  those  children  of  the  brain  when  paraded 
before  the  proper  authorities,  show  by  their  meager  propor- 
tions that  they  have  not  been  nourished  by  the  genial  warmth 
of  a willing  heart.” 

Speaking  of  the  Quarterly,  which  was  in  those 
days  a really  high  class  magazine,  he  states  its 
purpose : 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


83 


“It  proposes  a kind  of  intellectual  tournament  where  we 
may  learn  to  hurl  the  lance  and  wield  the  sword,  and  thus 
prepare  for  the  conflict  of  life.  It  shall  be  our  aim  to  keep 
the  lists  still  open  and  the  arena  clear,  that  the  knights  of  the 
quill  may  learn  to  hurl  the  lance  and  wield  the  sword  of 
though',  and  thus  be  ready  for  sterner  duties.  We  shall  also 
endeavor  to  decorate  the  arena  with  all  the  flowers  that  our 
own  gardens  afford,  and  thus  render  the  place  more  pleasant 
and  inviting.  We  should  remember,  however,  that  it  is  no 
honor  or  profit  merely  to  appear  in  the  arena,  but  the  wreath 
is  for  those  who  contend." 

From  a brilliant  review  of  the  life  and  writings 
of  the  unfortunate  Karl  Theodor  Korner,  that  ap- 
peared in  the  number  for  March,  1856,  we  cut  a 
single  paragraph : 

“ The  greater  part  of  our  modern  literature  bears  evident 
marks  of  the  haste  which  characterizes  all  the  movements  of 
this  age  ; but,  in  reading  these  older  authors,  we  are  impressed 
with  the  idea  that  they  enjoyed  the  most  comfortable  leisure. 
Many  books  we  can  read  in  a railroad  car,  and  feel  a harmony 
between  the  rushing  of  the  train  and  the  haste  of  the  author; 
but  to  enjoy  the  older  authors,  we  need  the  quiet  of  a winter 
evening — an  easy  chair  before  a cheerful  fire,  and  all  the 
equanimity  of  spirits  we  can  command.  Then  the  genial 
good  nature,  the  rich  fullness,  the  persuasive  eloquence  of 
those  old  masters  will  fall  upon  us  like  the  warm,  glad  sun- 
shine, and  afford  those  hours  of  calm  contemplation  in  which 
the  spirit  may  expand  with  generous  growth,  and  gain  deep 
and  comprehensive  views.  The  pages  of  friendly  old  Gold- 
smith come  to  us  like  a golden  autumn  day,  when  every  object 
which  meets  the  eye  bears  all  the  impress  of  the  completed 
year,  and  the  beauties  of  an  autumnal  forest.” 

Another  extract,  and  we  will  hurry  on  to  later 


84 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


dates  and  other  things'.  Writing  on  “The  Prov- 
ince  of  History,”  Garfield  defined  the  historian’s 
duty : 

“There  are  two  points  which  the  historian  should  ever 
have  before  him  : 

“First- — The  valuation  of  facts  to  each  other  and  the  whole 
body  of  history  ; and, 

“ Second — The  tendency  of  the  whole  toward  some  great 
end. 

******** 

“For  every  village,  State  and  nation  there  is  an  aggregate  of 
native  talent  which  God  has  given,  and  by  which,  together 
with  his  Providence,  he  leads  that  nation  on,  and  thus  leads 
the  world.  In  the  light  of  these  truths  we  affirm  that  no 
man  can  understand  the  history  of  any  nation,  or  of  the 
world,  who  does  not  recognize  in  it  the  power  of  God,  and 
behold  His  stately  goings  forth  as  He  walks  among  the  nations. 
It  is  His  hand  that  is  moving  the  vast  superstructure  of  human 
history,  and,  though  but  one  of  the  windows  were  unfurnished, 
like  that  of  the  Arabian  palace,  yet  all  the  powers  of  earth 
could  never  complete  it  without  the  aid  of  the  Divine  Archi- 
tect. 

“To  employ  another  figure — the  world’s  history  is  a divine 
poem,  of  which  the  history  of  every  nation  is  a canto,  and 
of  every  man  a word.  Its  strains  have  been  pealing  along 
down  the  centuries,  and,  though  there  have  been  mingled  the 
discord  of  roaring  cannon  and  dying  men,  yet  to  the  Chris- 
tian, Philosopher  and  Historian — the  humble  listener — there 
has  been  a divine  melody  running  through  the  song,  which 
speaks  of  hope  and  halcyon  days  to  come.  The  record  of 
every  orphan’s  sigh,  of  every  widow’s  prayer,  of  every  noble 
deed,  of  every  honest  heart-throb  for  the  right,  is  swelling 
that  gentle  strain  ; and  when,  at  last,  the  great  end  is  attained 
• — when  the  lost  image  of  God  is  restored  to  the  human  soup 
when  the  church  anthem  can  be  pealed  forth  without  a dis- 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD.  g - 

cordant  note,  then  will  angels  join  in  the  chorus,  and  all  the 
sons  of  God  again  ‘ shout  for  joy.’  ” 

Young  Garfield’s  connection  with  the  Quarterly 
proved  of  great  benefit  to  him,  as  it  gave  him  ex- 
perience and  brought  him  into  closer  contact  with 
the  men  around  him.  He  first  came  to  know  Sam 
Bowles  through  the  Quarterly , the  magazine  being 
printed  in  Bowles’  office.  Among  the  constant 
contributors  during  Garfield’s  connection  with  it 
as  editor,  we  notice  Professor  Chadbourne,  Horace 
E.  Scudder,  G.  B.  Manly,  S.  G.  W.  Benjamin,  J. 
Gilfillan,  W.  R.  Dimmock,  John  Savery  and  W.  S. 
B.  Hopkins,  some  of  whom  ^firvive  to-day  to  a 
more  distinguished  fame  than  the  pages  of  the 
College  Quarterly. 

His  second  winter  vacation  was  passed  at  Pres- 
tenkill,  New  York,  a country  neighborhood,  about 
six  miles  from  Troy,  where  one  of  the  Disciple 
preachers  from  Ohio,  named  Streeter,  was  occu- 
pied in  preaching.  Garfield  organized  a writing 
school,  to  keep  himself  busy,  and  occasionally 
preached  in  his  friend’s  church.  During  a visit  to 
Troy  he  became  acquainted  with  the  teachers  and 
directors  of  the  public  schools  of  that  city,  and  was 
one  day  surprised  by  the  offer  of  a position  in 
them,  at  a salary  far  beyond  his  expectations  of 
what  he  could  earn  on  his  return  to  Ohio  after  his 
graduation.  The  proposition  was  debated  gravely. 
If  he  accepted,  he  could  pay  his  debts,  marry  the 
girl  to  whom  he  was  engaged,  and  live  a life  of 


86 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


comparative  comfort  in  an  Eastern  city.  But  he 
could  not  finish  his  college  course,  and  he  would 
have  to  sever  the  ties  with  friends  in  Ohio  and 
with  the  strimo-finof  school  at  Hiram,  to  which  he 
was  deeply  attached.  He  settled  the  question  in 
a conversation.  Walking  on  a hill,  called  Mount 
Olympus,  with  the  gentleman  who  had  made  the 
proposition,  Garfield  said  to  him: 

“You  are  not  Satan,  and  I am  not  Jesus,  but  we  are  upon 
the  mountain,  and  you  have  tempted  me  powerfully.  I think 
I must  say,  get  thee  behind  me.  I am  poor,  and  the  salary 
would  soon  pay  my  debts  and  place  me  in  a position  of  inde- 
pendence ; but  there»re  two  objections.  I could  not  accom- 
plish my  resolution  to  complete  a college  course,  and  should 
be  crippled  intellectually  for  life.  Then  my  roots  are  all 
fixed  in  Ohio,  where  people  know  me  and  I know  them,  and 
this  transplanting  might  not  succeed  as  well  in  the  long  run 
as  to  go  back,  home  and  work  for  smaller  pay.’’ 

Study  at  Williams  was  easy  for  Garfield.  He 
had  been  used  to  much  harder  work  at  Hiram, 
where  he  had  crowded  a six  years’  course  into 
three,  and  taught  at  the  same  time.  Now  he  had 
the  stimulus  of  a large  class,  an  advantage  he  had 
never  enjoyed  before.  His  lessons  were  always 
perfectly  learned.  Professor  Chadbourne  says  he 
was  “the  boy  who  never  flunked,”  and  he  found  a 
nood  deal  of  time  for  courses  of  readinof  that  in- 
volved  as  much  brainwork  as  the  college  text- 
books. He  graduated  August,  1856,  with  a class 
honor  established  by  President  Hopkins  and 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


37 


highly  esteemed  in  the  college — that  of  Meta- 
physics— reading  an  essay  on  “The  Seen  and  the 
Unseen.”  It  is  singular  how  at  different  times  in 
the  course  of  his  education  he  was  thought  to  have 
a special  aptitude  for  some  single  line  of  intellec- 
tual work,  and  how  at  a later  period  his  talents 
seemed  to  lay  just  as  strongly  in  some  other  line. 
At  one  time  it  was  mathematics,  at  another  the 
classics,  at  another  rhetoric,  and  finally  he  excelled 
in  metaphysics.  The  truth  was  that  he  had  a re- 
markably vigorous  and  well-rounded  brain,  capa- 
ble of  doing  effective  work  in  any  direction  his 
will  might  dictate.  The  class  of  1856  contained 
among  its  forty-two  members  a number  of  men 
who  have  since  won  distinction.  Three  became 
general  officers  in  the  volunteer  army  during  the 
rebellion — Garfield,  Daviess  and  Thompson.  Two, 
Bolter  and  Shattuck,  were  captains,  and  were 
killed  in  battle ; Eldridge,  who  now  lives  in  Chi- 
cago, was  a colonel ; so  was  Ferris  Jacobs,  of 
Delhi,  N.  Y. ; Rockwell  is  a quartermaster  in  the 
regular  army;  Gilfillan  is  Treasurer  of  the  United 
States.  Hill  was  Assistant  Attorney-General  and 
is  now  a lawyer  in  Boston.  Knox  is  a leading 
lawyer  in  New  York.  Ncwcombe  is  a professor 
in  the  New  York  University,  of  New  York. 

During  his  last  term  at  Williams  he  made  his 
first  political  speech,  an  address  before  a meeting 
gathered  in  one  of  the  class-rooms  to  support  the 
nomination  of  John  C.  Fremont.  Although  he 


38 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


had  passed  his  majority  nearly  four  years  before, 
he  had  never  voted.  The  old  parties  did  not  in- 
terest him  ; he  believed  them  both  corrupted  with 
the  sin  of  slavery;  but  when  a new  party  arose  to 
combat  the  designs  of  the  slave  power  it  enlisted 
his  earnest  sympathies.  His  mind  was  free  from 
all  bias  concerning  the  parties  and  statesmen  of 
the  past,  and  could  equally  admire  Clay  or  Jack- 
son,  Webster  or  Benton, 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


CHAPTER  VII. 


A COLLEGE  PRESIDENT. 


AMES  A.  GARFIELD  left  the  venerable  dome 


of  Williams  decorated  with  her  high  towers 


/ and  went  straight  back  to  his  Ohio  home,  to 
take  a higher  step  in  his  hard  won  career.  He 
entered  Hiram  College  in  the  fall  of  1S56  as  a 
teacher  of  ancient  lanmiacres  and  literature.  The 

O O 

next  year,  at  the  age  of  twenty-six,  he  was  made 
president  of  the  institution.  This  office  he  held 
until  he  went  into  the  army  in  1861.  Hoping  that 
he  might  return — unwilling  to  part  even  with  his 
name — the  board  kept  him  nominally  at  the  head 
two  years  longer.  Then  he  fell  out  of  the  cata- 
logue, to  re-appear  as  a trustee  and  as  advisory 
principal  and  lecturer  in  1864  and  1865.  Then 
his  name  finally  disappears  from  the  faculty  page 
of  the  catalogue.  His  last  service  as  an  instructor 
was  an  admirable  series  of  ten  lectures  on  “Social 
Science,”  given  in  the  spring  of  1871. 

Hiram,  when  he  returned  to  it,  had  not  much 
improved  since  two  years  before.  It  was  a lone- 
some country  village,  three  miles  from  a railroad, 
built  upon  a high  hill,  overlooking  twenty  miles  of 
cheese-making  country  to  the  southward.  It  con- 
tained fifty  or  sixty  houses  clustered  around  the 


90 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


green,  in  the  centre  of  which  stood  the  homely 
red-brick  college  structure.  Plain  living  and  high 
thinking  was  the  order  of  things  in  those  days. 
The  teachers  were  poor,  the  pupils  were  poor, 
and  the  institution  was  poor,  but  there  was  a 
great  deal  of  hard,  faithful  study  done,  and  many 
courageous  plans  formed. 

The  young  president  was  ambitious  for  the  suc- 
cess of  the  institution  under  his  charge.  There 
probably  never  was  a younger  college  president, 
but  he  carried  his  new  position  remarkably  well, 
and  ’brought  to  it  energy,  vigor  and  good  sense, 
which  are  the  mainsprings  of  his  character.  Under 
his  supervision,  the  attendance  on  the  school  at 
Pliram  soon  doubled,  and  he  raised  its  standard  of 
scholarship,  strengthened  its  faculty,  and  inspired 
everybody  connected  with  it  with  something  of  his 
own  zeal  and  enthusiasm.  At  that  time  the  lead- 
ing Hiram  men  were  called  Philomatheans,  from 
the  society  to  which  they  belonged.  Henry  James, 
an  old  Philomathean,  mentioning  recently  the 
master-spirits  of  that  time,  thus  referred  to  the 
president : 

“Then  began  to  grow  up  in  me  an  admiration  and  love  for 
Garfield  that  has  never  abated,  and  the  like  of  which  I have 
never  known.  A bow  of  recognition,  or  a single  word  from 
him,  was  to  me  an  inspiration.” 

The  young  president  taught,  lectured  and 
preached,  and  all  the  time  studied  as  diligently 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD . 


93 


as  any  acolyte  in  the  temple  of  knowledge.  His 
scholars  all  regarded  him  with  respect,  admi- 
ration and  affection.  His  greatness  as  a teacher 
and  administrator  did  not  lie  so  much  in  his  tech- 
nical scholarship,  his  drillmaster  teaching,  or  his 
schoolmaster  discipline.  His  power  was  in  ener- 
gizing young  men  and  women.  He  stimulated 
thought,  aroused  courage,  stiffened  the  moral 
fibre,  poured  in  inspiration,  widened  the  field  of 
mental  vision,  and  created  noble  ideal  of  life  and 
character.  He  was  more  than  a teacher  and  ad- 
ministrator ; the  student  found  him  a helper  and 
friend. 

A notable  instance  of  this  is  on  record.  The 
present  president  of  Hiram  College,  Professor  B. 
A.  Hinsdale,  was  greatly  troubled,  during  the  win- 
ter of  1856—57,  in  his  mind,  concerning  the  ques- 
tions of  life.  He  wrote  to  Garfield  for  relief. 
Garfield’s  reply  was  as  follows  : 

“Hiram,  January  15th,  1857. 

“ My  Dear  Bro.  Burke  : — I was  made  very  glad  a few  days 
since  by  the  receipt  of  your  letter.  It  was  a very  acceptable 
New  Year’s  present,  and  I take  great  pleasure  in  responding. 
You  have  given  a vivid  picture  of  a community  in  which  in- 
telligence and  morality  have  been  neglected — and  I am  glad 
you  are  disseminating  the  light.  Certainly,  men  must  have 
some  knowledge  in  order  to  do  right.  God  first  said,  ‘Let 
there  be  light.’  Afterward  He  said,  ‘ It  is  very  good.’  Iam 
glad  to  hear  of  your  success  in  teaching,  but  I approach  with 
much  more  interest  the  consideration  of  the  question  you 
have  proD^=prh  Brother  mine,  it  is  not  a question  to  be  dis- 
6 


94 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


cussed  in  the  spirit  of  debate,  but  to  be  thought  over  and 
prayed  over  as  a question  ‘ out  of  which  are  the  issues  of  life.’ 
You  will  agree  with  me  that  every  one  must  decide  and  direct 
his  own  course  in  life,  and  the  only  service  friends  can  afford 
is  to  give  us  the  data  from  which  we  must  draw  our  own  con- 
clusion and  decide  our  course.  Allow  me,  then,  to  sit  beside 
you  and  look  over  the  field  of  life  and  see  what  are  its  aspects. 
I am  not  one  of  those  who  advise  every  one  to  undertake  the 
work  of  a liberal  education  ; indeed,  I believe  that  in  two- 
thirds  of  the  cases,  such  advice  would  be  unwise.  The  great 
body  of  the  people  will  be,  and  ought  to  be,  intelligent  farmers 
and  mechanics,  and  in  many  respects  these  pass  the  most  in- 
dependent and  happy  lives.  But  God  has  endowed  some  of 
His  children  with  desires  and  capabilities  for  a more  extended 
fi . Id  of  labor  and  influence,  and  so  every  life  should  be  shaped 
according  to  ‘what  the  man  hath.’  Now,  in  reference  to 
yourself.  I know  you  have  capabilities  for  occupying  posi- 
tions of  high  and  important  trust  in  the  scenes  of  active  life; 
and  I am  sure  you  will  not  call  it  flattery  in  me,  nor  egotism 
in  yourself,  to  say  so.  Tell  me,  Burke,  do  you  not  feel  a 
spirit  stirring  within  you  that  longs  to  knoiv,  lo  do  and  /o  dare 
to  hold  converse  with  the  great  world  of  thought,  and  hold 
before  you  some  high  and  noble  object  to  which  the  vigor  of 
your  mind  and  the  strength  of  your  arm  may  be  given?  Do 
you  not  have  longings  like  these,  which  you  breathe  to  no 
one,  and  which  you  feel  must  be  heeded,  or  you  will  pass 
through  life  unsatisfied  and  regretful  ? I am  sure  you  have 
them,  and  they  will  forever  cling  round  your  heart  till  you 
obey  their  mandate.  They  are  the  voice  of  that  nature  which 
God  has  given  you,  and  which,  when  obeyed,  will  bless  you 
and  your  fellow-men.  Now,  all  this  might  be  true,  and  yet  it 
might  be  your  duty  not  to  follow  that  course.  If  your  duty 
to  your  father  or  your  mother  demands  that  you  take  another, 
I shall  rejoice  to  see  you  taking  that  other  course.  The  path- 
of  duty  is  where  we  all  ought  to  walk,  be  that  where  it  may. 
But  I sincerely  hope  you  will  not,  without  an  earnest  struggle, 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


95 


give  up  a course  of  liberal  study.  Suppose  you  could  not  be- 
gin your  study  again  till  after  your  majority?  It  will  not  be 
too  late  then,  but  you  will  gain  in  many  respects;  you  will 
have  more  maturity  of  mind  to  appreciate  whatever  you  may 
study.  You  may  say  you  will  be  too  old  to  begin  the  course, 
but  how  could  you  spend  the  earlier  days  of  life?  We  should 
not  measure  life  by  the  days  and  moments  that  we  pass  on 
earth. 


“ ‘The  life  is  measured  by  the  soul’s  advance; 

The  enlargement  of  its  powers;  the  expanded  field 

Wherein  it  ranges,  till  it  burns  and  glows 

With  heavenly  joy,  with  high  and  heavenly  hope.’ 

“ It  need  be  no  discouragement  that  you  are  obliged  to  hew 
your  own  way,  and  pay  your  own  charges.  You  can  go  to 
school  two  terms  every  year,  and  pay  your  own  way.  I know 
this,  for  I did  so,  when  teachers’  wages  were  much  lower  than 
they  are  now.  It  is  a great  truth,  that  ‘ where  there  is  a will 
there  is  a way.’  It  may  be  that  by  and  by  your  father  could 
assist  you.  It  may  be  that  even  now  he  could  let  you  com- 
mence on  your  resources,  so  that  you  could  begin  immedi- 
ately. Of  this  you  know,  and  I do  not.  I need  not  tell  you 
how  glad  I should  be  to  assist  you  in  your  work ; but  if  you 
cannot  come  to  Hiram  while  I am  here,  I shall  still  hope  to 
hear  that  you  are  determined  to  go  on  as  soon  as  the  time  will 
permit.  Will  you  not  write  me  your  thoughts  on  this  whole 
subject,  and  tell  me  your  prospects?  We  are  having  a very 
good  time  in  the  school  this  winter.  Give  my  love  to  Polden 
and  Louise,  and  believe  me  always  your  friend  and  brother, 

“J.  A.  Garfield. 

“ P.  S. — Miss  Booth  and  Mr.  Rhodes  send  their  love  to 
you.  Henry  James  was  here  and  made  me  a good  visit  a few 
days  ago.  He  is  doing  well.  He  and  I have  talked  of  going 
to  see  you  this  winter.  I fear  we  cannot  do  it.  How  far  is  it 
from  here?  Burke,  was  it  prophetic  that  my  last  word  to  you 
ended  on  the  picture  of  the  Capitol  of  Congress? 

“J.  A.  G.” 


96 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


The  significance  of  the  last  sentence  is  seen 
when  it  is  understood  that  it  was  written  on  a 
sheet  of  Congress  note  paper,  and  the  last  words 
came  across  the  little  picture  of  the  capitol  which 
adorns  its  upper  left-hand  corner. 

A pleasant  picture  of  his  methods  and  manners 
is  drawn  for  us  from  another  source — the  recol- 
lections of  an  old  pupil,  the  Rev.  J.  F.  Darsie. 
He  pictures  Garfield  graphically: 

“I  attended  school  at  the  Western  Reserve  Eclectic  Insti- 
tute when  Garfield  was  principal,  and  I recall  vividly  his 
method  of  teaching.  He  took  very  kindly  to  me,  and  assisted 
me  in  various  ways,  because  I was  poor  and  was  janitor  of  the 
buildings,  and  swept  them  out  in  the  morning  and  built  the 
fires — as  he  had  done  only  six  years  before,  when  he  was  a 
nupil  at  the  same  school.  He  was  full  of  animal  spirits,  and 
he  used  to  run  out  on  the  green  almost  every  day  and  play 
cricket  with  us.  He  was  a tall,  strong  man,  but  dreadfully 
awkward.  Every  now  and  then  he  would  get  a hit  on  the 
nose,  and  he  muffed  his  ball  and  lost  his  hat  as  a regular 
thing.  He  was  left-handed,  too,  and  that  made  him  seem  all 
the  more  clumsier.  But  he  was  most  powerful  and  very  quick, 
and  it  was  easy  for  us  to  understand  how  it  was  that  he  had 
acquired  the  reputation  of  whipping  all  the  other  mule-drivers 
on  the  canal,  and  of  making  himself  the  hero  of  that  thorough- 
fare when  he  followed  its  tow-path  ten  years  earlier. 

“ No  matter  how  old  the  pupils  were  Garfield  always  called 
us  by  our  first  names,  and  kept  himself  on  the  most  familiar 
terms  with  all.  He  played  with  us  freely,  scuffled  with  us 
sometimes,  walked  with  us  in  walking  to  and  fro,  and  we 
treated  him  out  of  the  class-room  just  about  as  we  did  one 
another.  Yet  he  was  a most  strict  disciplinarian,  and  enforced 
the  rules  like  a martinet.  He  combined  an  affectionate  and 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


97 


confiding  manner  with  respect  for  order  in  a most  successful 
manner.  If  he  wanted  to  speak  to  a pupil,  either  for  reproof 
or  approbation,  he  would  generally  manage  to  get  one  arm 
around  him  and  draw  him  close  up  to  him.  He  had  a pecu- 
liar way  of  shaking  hands,  too,  giving  a twist  to  your  arm  and 
drawing  you  right  up  to  him.  This  sympathetic  manner  has 
helped  him  to  advancement.  When  I was  janitor,  he  used 
sometimes  to  stop  me  and  ask  my  opinion  about  this  and  that, 
as  if  seriously  advisiifg  with  me.  I can  see  now  that  my 
opinion  could  not  have  been  of  any  value,  and  that  he  proba- 
bly asked  me  partly  to  increase  my  self-respect,  and  partly  to 
show  me  that  he  felt  an  interest  in  me.  I certainly  was  his 
friend  all  the  firmer  for  it. 

“I  remember  once  asking  him  what  was  the  best  way  to 
pursue  a certain  study,  and  he  said  : £ Use  several  text-books. 
Get  the  views  of  different  authors  as  you  advance.  In  that 
way  you  can  plow  a broader  furrow.  I always  study  in  that 
way.’  He  tried  hard  to  teach  us  to  observe  carefully  and  ac- 
curately. He  broke  out  one  day  in  the  midst  of  a lesson  with 
‘ Henry,  how  many  posts  are  there  under  the  building  down- 
stairs ?’  Henry  expressed  his  opinion,  and  the  question  went 
around  the  class,  hardly  one  getting  it  right.  Then  it  was; 
£ How  many  boot-scrapers  are  there  at  the  door  ?’  * How 

many  windows  in  the  building  ?’  ‘ How  many  trees  in  the 

field  ?’  ‘ What  were  the  colors  of  different  rooms,  and  the 

peculiarities  of  any  familiar  objects?’  He  was  the  keenest 
observer  I ever  saw.  I think  he  noticed  and  numbered  every 
button  on  our  coats. 

“Mr.  Garfield  was  very  fond  of  lecturing  to  the  school. 
He  spoke  two  or  three  times  a week,  on  all  manner  of  topics, 
generally  scientific,  though  sometimes  literary  or  historical. 
He  spoke  with  great  freedom,  never  writing  out  what  he  had 
to  say,  -and  I now  think  that  his  lectures  were  a rapid  compi- 
lation of  his  current  reading,  and  that  he  threw  it  into  this 
form  partly  for  the  purpose  of  impressing  it  on  his  own  mind. 
His  facility  of  speech  was  learned  when  he  was  a pupil  ther^ 


-98 


LIFE  AND  PUB  INC  CAREER  OF 


The  societies  had  a rule  that  every  student  should  take  his 
stand  on  the  platform  and  speak  for  five  minutes,  on  any  topic 
suggested  at  the  moment  by  the  audience.  It  was  a very 
trying  ordeal.  Garfield  broke  down  badly  the  two  first  times 
he  tried  to  speak,  but  persisted,  and  was  at  last,  when  he  went 
to  Williams,  one  of  the  best  of  the  five-minute  speakers, 
When  he  returned  as  principal  his  readiness  was  striking  and 
remarkable.” 

• 

As  president  of  an  institute,  it  was  natural  that 
Garfield  should  appear  on  the  platform  on  every 
public  occasion.  The  Church  of  the  Disciples,  as 
before  stated,  like  the  Society  of  Friends,  is  accus- 
tomed to  accord  large  privileges  of  speaking  to 
its  laity;  and  so  it  came  to  be  expected  that  Presi- 
dent Garfield  should  address  his  pupils  on  Sun- 
days— briefly  even  when  ministers  of  the  Gospel 
were  to  preach — more  at  length  when  no  one 
else  was  present  to  conduct  the  services.  The 
remarks  of  the  young  president  were  always 
forcible,  generally  eloquent,  and  the  community 
presently  began  to  regard  him  as  its  foremost 
public  speaker,  to  be  put  forward  on  every  occa- 
sion, to  be  heard  with  attention  on  every  subject. 
His  pupils  also  helped  to  swell  his  reputation  and 
the  admiration  for  bis  talents. 

His  lar<je  brain  was  stored  with  information  al- 
ways  at  his  command;  he  was  fluent  without  being 
verbose ; and  he  had  in  an  unusual  degree  the 
happy  quality  of  clearness.  This,  added  to  his 
commanding  appearance  and  effective  delivery, 
made  him  sought  for  on  all  public  occasions.  His 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


99 


sincerity,  his  unblemished  character,  and  his  elo- 
quence were  well  known,  not  only  all  about  the 
regdon  where  he  lived,  bu*  throughout  the 
State,  and  the  fact  that  Mr.  Garfield  was  to 
appear  in  the  pulpit  anywhere  always  drew  a 
great  crowd. 

He  remained,  as  we  have  said,  at  Hiram,  until 
the  vrar  called  him  away,  and  steadily  refused  all 
efforts  made  to  induce  him  to  desert  the  institu- 
tion for  whose  welfare  he  had  done  so  much.  In 
March,  1S61,  he  was  offered  the  place  of  vice- 
principal of  the  Cleveland  Institute,  at  a salary  of 
fifteen  hundred  dollars  a year.  To  the  offer  he  re- 
turned this  reply: 

“I  am  very  much  obliged  to  you  for  your  kind  offer,  but 
you  would  not  want  to  employ  me  for  a short  time,  and  I feel 
it  my  duty  to  say  that  some  of  my  friends  have  got  the  insane 
notion  in  their  heads  that  I ought  to  go  to  Congress.  I know 
I ain’t  fit  for  the  position,  and  I have  fought  against  it  all  I 
could.  I know  nothing  about  political  wire-pulling,  and  I have 
told  my  friends  plainly  that  I would  have  nothing  to  do  with 
that  kind  of  business,  but  I am  sure  that  I can  be  nominated 
and  elected  without  my  resorting  to  any  unlawful  means,  and 
I have  lately  given  authority  to  allow  my  name  to  be  used.  I 
don’t  know  that  anything  will  come  of  it;  if  there  does  not, 
I will  gladly  accept  your  offer.” 

« 

During  his  term  as  president  at  Hiram,  he  had 
continued  the  study  of  law,  begun  some  time  be- 
fore, and  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar  of  Cuyahoga 
County,  in  i860.  He  also  paid  some  attention  to 
Masonry,  into  which  order  he  was  initiated.  He 


IOO 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OR 


has  not  been,  however,  a very  active  member, 
though  he  has  taken  a number  of  decrees.  When 
he  was  in  the  army  so  many  of  his  regiment  were 
Masons  that  they  oiganized  a lodge,  which  he 
joined  to  please  them.  He  is  a charter  member 
of  Pentalpha  Lodge,  No.  23,  and  a member  of 
Columbia  Chapter,  No.  1 ; Columbia  Command- 
ery,  No.  2,  and  Mithras  Lodge  of  Perfection,  A. 
and  A.  Rite,  all  of  Washington. 

With  this  last  mention,  President  Garfield  drops 
from  the  record  of  educational  history  in  this 
country,  to  take  his  place  in  the  procession  of 
figures  that  stand  silhouetted  against  our  national 
horizon,  as  men  who  made  and  saved  our  country. 
The  mature  teacher  was  transformed  into  the 
youthful  statesman.  But  before  we  turn  the  page 
to  follow  him  upon  the  stormy  sea  of  politics,  we 
must  relate  an  incident  of  hisjife  that  has  proved 
to  have  been  the  happiest  red-letter  of  his  ex- 
istence. 

In  his  earlier  days,  when  a pupil,  he  met,  as  re- 
lated, a sweet-faced  girl  named  Lucretia  Rudolph. 
She  was  the  daughter  of  a Maryland  farmer, 
Zebulon  Rudolph,  from  the  banks  of  the  Shenan- 
doah. The  uncle  of  this  man  served  with  dis- 
tinguished bravery  in  the  war  of  the  Revolution, 
and  after  sheathing  his  sword  here,  he  went  to 
France  to  draw  it  in  the  service  of  the  great  Na- 
poleon, and  he  rose  to  be,  so  says  a cherished 
tradition  in  the  Rudolph  family,  that  brilliant  sol- 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


IOI 


dier,  Michel,  Duke  of  Elchingen,  Marshal  Ney. 
Zebulon  Rudolph’s  wife  was  from  an  old  Connec- 
ticut family,  and  was  Arabella  Mason,  of  Hartford, 
Vermont.  This  was  Lucretia  Rudolph’s  parent- 
age. 

When  Garfield  first  met  her  as  a fellow-student 
at  Hiram,  she  was  a refined,  intelligent,  affection- 
ate girl,  who  shared  his  thirst  for  knowledge  and 
his  ambition  for  culture,  and  had,  at  the  same 
time,  the  domestic  tastes  and  talents  which  fitted 
her  equally  to  preside  over  the  home  of  the 
poor  college  professor  and  that  of  the  famous 
statesman.  A Hiram  poet,  celebrating  the  La- 
dies’ Literary  Society  of  the  college  in  verse,  so 
sunq . 

o> 

“ Again  a Mary  ? Nay,  Lucretia, 

The  noble,  classic  name 
That  well  befits  our  fair  ladie, 

Our  sweet  and  gentle  dame. 

With  heart  as  leal  and  loving 
As  e’er  was  sung  in  lays 
Of  high-born  Roman  matron, 

In  old,  heroic  days  ; 

Worthy  her  lord  illustrious,  whom 
Honor  and  fame  attend ; 

Worthy  her  soldier’s  name  to  wear, 

Worthy  the  civic  wreath  to  share 
That  binds  her  Viking’s  tawny  hair; 

Right  proud  are  we  the  world  should  know 
As  hers,  him  we  long  ago 
Found  truest  helper,  friend.” 

When  Garfield  went  to  Williams,  Miss  Rudolph 
started  for  Cleveland  to  teach  in  the  public  schools 
and  to  patiently  wait  the  realization  of  their  hopes, 


102 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


which  was  agreed  to  be  as  soon  as  he  should 
graduate  and  become  established  in  life.  This  he 
considered  accomplished  when  he  succeeded  to 
the  head  of  the  Hiram  Institute,  and  accordingly, 
in  1858,  they  were  married.  A neat  little  cottage 
was  bought,  fronting  the  college  campus,  and  the 
wedded  life  begun,  poor  in  worldly  goods,  but 
wealthy  in  the  affection  of  brave  hearts.  The 
match  was  a love-match  and  has  turned  out  very 
happily.  The  general  attributes  much  of  his 
success  in  life  to  his  wise  selection.  His  wife 
has  grown  with  his  growth,  and  has  been,  during 
all  his  career,  the  appreciative  companion  of  his 
studies,  the  loving  mother  of  his  children,  the 
graceful,  hospitable  hostess  of  his  friends  and 
guests,  and  the  wise  and  faithful  helpmeet  in 
the  trials,  vicissitudes  and  successes  of  his  busy 
life. 

Both  she  and  the  general  keep  up  their  classical 
studies  yet,  and  derive  great  satisfaction  from 
doinof  so.  It  is  said  that,  when  a gfirl  at  Hiram 
she  used  to  remark  that  her  Latin  and  her  Greek 
would  be  of  no  use  to  her  in  after  life.  Two  or 
three  years  ago,  having  grown  a little  “rusty”  on 
the  dead  languages,  she  expressed  a wish  that  she 
had  not  forgotten  her  Latin,  as  she  would  like  to 
take  the  boys.  One  day,  the  general  gave  her  a 
Cmsar,  and  told  her  he  would  hear  her  recite  a 
page  of  it  that  night.  She  had  not  looked  at  the 
great  commentaries  for  years,  but  when  night 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


103 


came  she  recited  the  page  very  fairly,  and  from 
that  time  on,  for  two  years,  she  took  the  two  older 
boys  and  carried  them  through  their  Latin,  and 
the  little  children  have  never  been  to  school,  but 
have  been  taught  at  home  by  their  accomplished 
mother,  a wiser,  better  way. 


io4 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


V 


THE  BIRTH  OF  A POLITICAL  CAREER. 

P to  1856,  General  Garfield  had  taken  no 
particular  interest  in  public  affairs.  He 
had  been  occupied  with  other  matters. 
But  now  that  his  general  education  was  finished, 
and  he  was  ready  to  devote  himself  to  the  work  of 
the  world,  his  political  pulses  began  to  stir.  A 
year  or  two  before  the  Republican  party  had 
sprung  up  as  an  immediate  consequent  of  the 
Kansas-Nebraska  legislation.  Its  orimnal  mission 
has  been  thus  stated  by  its  present  standard- 
bearer  : 


“Long  familiarity  with  traffic  in  the  bodies  and  souls  of 
men  had  paralyzed  the  consciences  of  a majority  of  our 
people.  The  baleful  doctrine  of  State  sovereignty  had  shaken 
and  weakened  the  noblest  and  most  beneficent  powers  of  the 
National  Government;  and  the  grasping  power  of  slavery  was 
seizing  the  virgin  territories  of  the  West,  and  dragging  them 
into  the  den  of  external  bondage.  At  that  crisis  the  Repub- 
lican party  was  born.  It  drew  its  first  inspiration  from  that 
fire  of  liberty  which  God  has  lighted  in  every  human  heart, 
and  which  all  the  powers  of  ignorance  and  tyranny  can 
never  wholly  extinguish.” 

In  the  campaign  of  1857  and  1858,  he  took  the 
stump  and  became  quite  well-known  as  a vigor- 
ous, logical  stump  orator.  And  it  is  extremely 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


I05 

probable  that  he,  during  the  excitement  of  the 
campaign,  felt  the  promptings  of  a political  ambi- 
tion that  he  did  not  even  acknowledge  to  himself. 
It  was  natural  then,  thinking  that  a few  weeks  at 
Columbus  would  not  interfere  with  his  duties  at 
Hiram,  that  he  should  accept  the  nomination  to 
the  Ohio  Senate  from  the  counties  of  Portage  and 
Summit,  when  it  was  tendered  him  in  1859;  and 
equally  natural  that  he  should  be  thought  of  by 
the  strong  anti-slavery  voters  of  those  counties. 
His  speeches,  during  his  first  campaign,  were 
warm,  fresh  and  impassioned,  and  added  not  a 
little  to  his  already  growing  popularity.  Pie  was 
elected  by  a very  handsome  majority. 

Senator  Garfield  at  once  took  high  rank  in  the 
Legislature  as  a man  well  informed  on  the  sub- 
jects  of  legislation,  and  effective  and  powerful  in 
debate.  He  seemed  always  prepared  to  speak ; 
he  always  spoke  fluently  and  to  the  point ; and  his 
genial,  warm-hearted  nature  served  to  increase 
the  kindness  with  which  both  political  friends  and 
opponents  regarded  him.  Three  Western  Re- 
serve senators  formed  the  Radical  triumvirate  in 
that  able  and  patriotic  Legislature,  which  was  to 
place  Ohio  in  line  for  the  war.  One  was  a highly- 
rated  professor  of  Oberlin  College ; another,  a 
lawyer  already  noted  for  force  and  learning,  the 
son-in-law  of  the  president  of  Oberlin ; the  third 
was  our  village  carpenter  and  village  teacher  from 
Hiram.  He  was  the  youngest  of  the  three,  but 


I 06  LIFE  and  public  career  of 

he  speedily  became  die  first.  The  trials  of  the 
next  six  years  were  to  confirm  the  verdict  of  the 
little  group  about  the  State  capital  that  soon 
placed  Garfield  before  both  Cox  and  Monroe. 
The  college  professor  was  abundantly  satsfied 
with  the  success  in  life  which  made  him  a consul 
at  a South  American  port.  The  adroit,  polished, 
able  lawyer  became  a painstaking  general,  who, 
perhaps,  oftener  deserved  success  than  won  it,  and 
who  at  last,  profiting  by  the  gratitude  of  the  people 
to  their  soldiers,  rose  to  be  Governor  of  the  State, 
but  there  (for  the  time,  at  least),  ended.  The  vil- 
lage carpenter  started  lower  in  the  race  of  the 
war,  and  rose  higher,  became  one  of  the  leaders 
in  oirr  national  councils,  and  confessedly  one  of 
the  ablest  among  the  younger  of  our  statesmen. 

During  the  session  of  1 860-61,  he  was  charac- 
teristically active  and  vigorous  in  aiding  to  pre- 
pare the  State  to  stand  by  the  General  Govern- 
ment, in  opposition  to  the  rising  storm  of  rebellion; 
a storm  that  he  met  bravely,  as  we  shall  see  later. 
In  committee  work,  we  find  from  his  pen  an  able 
report  in  favor  of  a State  Geological  Survey;  an- 
other from  a select  committee  in  favor  of  author- 
izing active  measures  to  protect  and  instruct  neg- 
lected, destitute  and  pauper  children.  Further, 
the  now  famous  report  to  punish  treason,  in  which 
he  uwed  that  it  was  “ high  time  for  Ohio  to  enact  a 
law  to  meet  treachery  when  it  shall  take  the  form 
of  an  overt  act ; to  provide  that,  when  her  soldiers 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


IO/ 


go  forth  to  maintain  the  Union,  there  shall  be  no 

o 

treacherous  fire  in  the  rear.” 

Something-  about  the  man  as  he  then  was  is 
written  us  by  Mr.  W.  D.  Howells,  editor  of  the 
Atlantic  Monthly , who  was  legislative  correspon- 
dent and  news  editor  of  the  Ohio  Stale  Journal 
during  the  years  Garfield  was  in  the  Ohio  Senate : 

“One  winter  there  was  an  exchange  of  visits  between  the 
Tennessee  Legislature  and  ours  to  promote  a sentiment  of 
good-feeling.  Garfield  was  prominently  in  the  affair,  and  ex- 
tremely popular  with  the  Tennesseeans,  on  account  of  the 
manly  and  self-respectful  good  feeling  with  which  he,  a 
Western  Reserve  anti-slavery  man,  not  then  on  the  common 
ground  of  their  Americanism  and  devotion  to  the  Union.  I 
think  he  was  more  acceptable  to  them  than  any  other  Ohioan, 
though,  there  was  no  question  about  his  political  opinions. 
He  had  then,  as  now,  that  simple,  affectionate  wav,  which 
charms  people. 

“ I knew  him,  then,  for  his  literary  taste,  and  I particularly 
remember  his  passion  for  Tennyson’s  poetry.  I had  printed 
my  first  poems  in  the  Atlantic,  and  it  was,  no  doubt,  his  con- 
fidence in  my  literary  sympathy  which  brought  him  one  morn- 
ing to  the  Jcurjial  office,  with  his  Tennyson,  to  read  me  some 
passages  that  had  especially  moved  him  in  ‘The  Poet.’  The 
rich  fullness  of  his  voice,  and  his  fine,  self-forgetfulness,  as  he 
read — impressive  enough  to  a boy  of  twenty,  who  had  looked 
up  to  him  as  a law-giver.” 

This  literary  reminiscences  calls  forth  another 
from  a correspondent  who  knew  the  young  sena- 
tor at  the  time.  Remarking  on  Garfield's  love  of 
Pascal,  he  says : 

" One  of  the  passages  from  Pascal,  which  the  general  is 


to8  LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 

most  fond  of  quoting  is  where  that  great  philosopher  said  that 
the  true  way  to  study  history  is  to  treat  the  whole  human  race 
as  one  colossal,  immortal  man,  forever  living,  always  learning  ; 
who  sometimes  stumbles  and  falls,  but  who  in  the  long  run 
always  advances  in  intelligence  and  civilization.  I well  re- 
member the  general’s  quoting  this.  ‘Do  you  know,’  he 
said,  ‘ that  thought  of  Pascal’s  is  one  of  remarkable  beauty 
and  value?  I have  often  dwelt  over  it,  and  carried  it 
much  further  than  it  is  developed  by  the  philosopher. 
The  people  of  a Republic  like  ours  are  peculiarly  like  a 
single  great  individual  man,  full  of  passions — prejudices 
often — but  with  a great  heart,  despising  anything  like  show  or 
pretense,  and  always  striving  forward  in  a general  right  direc- 
tion. The  popular  verdict,  expressed  as  the  voice  of  this 
giant  man,  is  sometimes  wrong  for  the  nonce,  but  in  the  course 
of  time  it  assumes  the  right  tendency  again.  This  individual 
pays  but  little  attention  to  infinite  things,  unless  there  is 
something  very  peculiar  about  them.  He  casts  his  ox-like  eye, 
in  a sort  of  slow  and  easy  way,  along  the  horizon,  and  ascer- 
tains about  where  a great  many  men  are.  If  any  of  these  men 
who  appear  before  his  general  vision  make  any  special  effort 
to  attract  his  attention,  lie  probably  smiles  a sort  of  contempt- 
ous  smile,  and  passes  on.  Men  often  attempt  to  attract  his 
attention — some  one  way,  and  others  another.  If  the  old  fel- 
low once  fastens  his  eyes  on  a man  or  woman  from  some 
legitimate  act  or  course  of  action  of  his  or  hers,  that  person 
has  that  thing  happen  to  him  known  as  fame.  If  the  old  fel- 
low’s eye  is  caused  to  rest  on  a person  from  some  outlandish 
caper  performed  on  purpose  to  catch  his  eye,  that  man  is  only 
notorious.  The  way  to  make  the  old  giant  take  special  no- 
tice of  a man  of  worth  is  not  to  pay  much  attention  to  him, 
but  keep  on  one’s  course,  regardless  of  whatever  he  sees  or 
not.  It  has  been  so  often  illustrated  that  the  men  who  by 
Liliputian  efforts  attempt  to  court  the  old  fellow  generally  fall 
short  of  capturing  his  favor.  It  is  like  a woman  courting  a 
man.  There  is  something  in  man’s  nature  that  makes  him 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELO. 


IO9 


revolt  against  anything  of  that  kind.  No  woman  is  so  pretty, 
charming  and  well-dressed  that  she  can  safely  say  to  him, 
“Here,  marry  me  ! You  love  me,  and  I know  it.  I am  now 
ready  for  you;  why  should  we  delay?”  The  man  would  say, 
“I  was  going  to  ask  you  to  marry  me,  yesterday;  but  now  I 
don’t  want  you  at  all.  You  are  just  a little  too  willing.  I 
think  I’d  rather  not.”  That  is  man’s  nature — he  can’t  help 
but  show  it ; and  that  is  the  nature  of  the  old  giant  we  are 
discussing.  He  would  much  rather  seek  his  man  when  he 
wants  to  look  at  one  or  bestow  any  special  favors.’  ” 

On  the  4th  of  July,  i860,  at  Ravenna,  Mr.  Gar- 
field delivered  an  oration  which  rings  with  the 
sterling  patriotism  of  the  man  and  forms  a fitting 
prelude  to  the  story  of  war,  to  which  we  must  next 
invite  the  reader’s  attention.  At  Ravenna,  Gar- 
field said : 

“We  have  seen  that  our  Republic  differs  in  its  origin  from 
all  the  monarchies  of  the  world.  We  may  also  see  that  it 
differs  widely  from  all  other  republics  of  ancient  or  modern 
times.  These  all  centred  round  a conquering  hero  or  a pow- 
erful city — ours  round  a principle.  In  the  brightest  days 
of  the  Grecian  Republic,  its  strength  and  glory  rested 
upon  the  life  and  fortunes  of  Pericles.  In  the  old  Dutch 
Republic  of  Holland  and  the  later  establishments  of  mod- 
ern Germany,  freedom  was  of  the  city  and  not  of  the 
people.  The  burghers  were  the  only  freemen,  and  they 
constituted  an  aristocracy  more  haughty  and  imperious 
than  the  hereditary  peers  of  England.  The  peasants  of  the 
rural  districts,  the  toiling  thousands,  were  hardly  known  to 
the  government,  except  that  they  bore  many  of  its  heavy 
burdens.  But  here,  cities  are  not  tyrannies,  and  freedom  in 
her  best  estate  is  found  in  the  green  fields  of  the  country, 
among  the  hardy  tillers  of  the  soil.  Heroes  did  not  make 
our  liberties,  the-  but  reflected  and  illustrated  them.  Indi- 

7 


I IO 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


viduals  may  wear  for  a time  the  glory  of  our  institutions,  but 
they  carry  it  not  with  them  to  the  grave.  Like  rain-drops 
from  heaven,  they  pass  through  the  circle  of  the  shining  bows 
and  add  to  its  lustre,  but  when  they  have  sunk  in  the  earth 
again,  the  proud  arch  still  spans  the  sky  and  shines  gloriously 
on.  Governments,  in  general,  look  upon  man  only  as  a 
citizen,  a fraction  of  the  state.  God  looks  upon  him  as  an 
individual  man,  with  capacities,  duties  and  a destiny  of  his 
own ; and  just  in  proportion  as  a government  recognizes  the 
individual  and  shields  him  in  the  exercises  of  his  rights,  in 
that  proportion  is  it  Godlike  and  glorious.  The  village 
church  and  the  village  school  have  become  our  great  civil- 
izing and  elevating  guardians,  and  we  mention  with  honest 
pride  the  fact  that  more  than  half  of  all  the  revenue  of  our 
State  government  is  annually  expended  in  the  education  of 
our  youth.  And  yet  there  are  other  States  in  the  Union 
which,  in  this  respect,  wear  still  brighter  laurels  than  Ohio. 
To  all  these  means  of  culture  is  added  that  powerful  incen- 
tive to  personal  ambition  which  springs  from  the  genius  of 
our  Government.  The  pathway  to  honorable  distinction  lies 
open  to  all.  No  post  of  honor  so  high  but  the  poorest  boy 
may  hope  to  reach  it. 

“It  is  the  pride  of  every  American  that  many  cherished 
names,  at  whose  mention  our  hearts  beat  with  a quicker  bound, 
were  worn  by  the  sons  of  poverty,  who  conquered  obscurity 
and  became  fixed  stars  in  our  firmament.  None  appreciate 
this  more  fully  than  our  adopted  citizens,  who  have  felt  the 
crushing  hand  of  power  in  other  lands.  It  cannot  but  destroy 
the  high  hopes  of  a noble  nature  to  know  that,  though  the 
blood  that  visits  his  heart  leaps  as  free  and  ruby  red  as  that 
which  courses  the  veins  of  king  or  lord,  and  though  in  God’s 
sight  he  is  every  whit  their  peer,  yet  the  strong  crust  of  cen- 
turies is  above  him,  the  shadow  of  power  gloomily  enshrouds 
him,  and  all  the  high  places  of  distinction  and  trust  are  for- 
ever barred  against  him. 

“And  here  we  are  brought  to  that  question  of  deepest  in- 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


I I I 


terest  to  the  patriot’s  heart — our  nation’s  future.  Shall  it  be 
perpetual  ? Shall  the  expanding  circle  of  its  beneficent  in- 
fluence extend,  widening  onward  to  the  farthest  shore  of  time? 
Shall  its  sun  rise  higher  and  yet  higher,  and  shine  with  ever- 
brightening  lustre?  Or,  has  it  passed  the  zenith  of  its  glory, 
and  left  us  to  sit  in  the  lengthening  shadows  of  its  coming 
night  ? Shall  power  from  beyond  the  sea  snatch  the  proud 
banner  from  us  ? Shall  civil  dissension  or  intestine  strife  rend 
the  fair  fabric  of  the  Union?  The  rulers  of  the  Old  World 
have  long  and  impatiently  looked  to  see  fulfilled  the  prophecy 
of  its  downfall.  Such  philosophers  as  Coleridge,  Allison  and 
Macauley  have,  severally,  set  forth  the  reasons  for  this 
prophecy — the  chief  of  which  is,  that  the  element  of  sta- 
bility in  our  Government  will  sooner  or  later  bring  upon  it 
certain  destruction.  This  is  truly  a grave  charge.  But  whether 
instability  is  an  element  of  destruction  or  of  safety,  depends 
wholly  upon  the  sources  whence  that  instability  springs. 

“The  granite  hills  are  not  so  changeless  and  abiding  as 
the  restless  sea.  Quiet  is  no  certain  pledge  of  permanence 
and  safety.  Trees  may  flourish  and  flowers  may  bloom  upon 
the  quiet  mountain  side,  while  silently  the  trickling  rain- 
drops are  filling  the  deep  cavern  behind  its  rocky  barriers, 
which,  by  and  by,  in  a single  moment,  shall  hurl  to  wild  ruin 
its  treacherous  peace.  It  is  true,  that  in  our  land  there  is  no 
such  outer  quiet,  no  such  deceitful  repose.  Here  society  is  a 
restless  and  surging  sea.  The  roar  of  the  billows,  the  dash  of 
the  wave,  is  forever  in  our  ears.  Even  the  angry  hoarseness 
of  breakers  is  not  unheard.  But  there  is  an  understratum  of 
deep,  calm  sea,  which  the  breath  of  the  wildest  tempest  can 
never  reach.  There  is,  deep  down  in  the  hearts  of  the  Amer- 
ican people,  a strong  and  abiding  love  of  our  country  and  its 
liberty,  which  no  surface-storms  of  passion  can  ever  shake. 
That  kind  of  instability  which  arises  from  a free  movement 
and  interchange  of  position  among  the  members  of  society, 
which  brings  one  drop  up  to  glisten  for  a time  in  the  crest  of 
the  highest  wave,  and  then  give,  place  to  another,  while  it 


I I 2 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


goes  down  to  mingle  again  with  the  millions  below ; such  in- 
stability is  the  surest  pledge  of  permanence.  On  such  insta- 
bility the  eternal  fixedness  of  the  universe  is  based.  Each 
planet,  in  its  circling  orbit,  returns  to  the  goal  of  its  depar- 
ture, and  on  the  balance  of  these  wildly-rolling  spheres  God 
has  planted  the  broad  base  of  His  mighty  works.  So  the  hope 
of  our  national  perpetuity  rests  upon  that  perfect  individual 
freedom,  which  shall  forever  keep  up  the  circuit  of  perpetual 
change.  God  forbid  that  the  waters  of  our  national  life 
should  ever  settle  to  the  dead  level  of  a waveless  calm.  It 
would  be  the  stagnation  of  death — the  ocean  grave  of  indi- 
vidual liberty.” 


GARFIELD  as  a SOLDIER. 


“General  Garfield  proceeded  to  the  Front.” 
— General  Rosecrans' s official  refort  of  the  battle  of  Chicka • 
manga, 


*AMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


115 


CHAPTER  IX. 


THE  STORM  BURSTS. 


O write  the  career  of  James  A,  Garfield 


during  the  trying  hours  of  the  Rebellion 


is  to  write  at  once  a history  of  intrepid 
bravery,  exquisite  coolness  in  danger  and  sure 
success  in  action.  His  career  has  been  rarely 
equaled  by  any  American  who  entered  the  war  as 
a civilian  and  laid  down  his  sword  with  the  rank 
of  a major-general.  His  record,  while  bearing  testi- 
mony to  the  marvelous  spirit  that  always  pervades 
a great  people  in  a great  crisis,  and  brings  to  the 
front  a leader  for  every  emergency,  is  a strangely 
complete  illustration  of  how  perfectly  a man  of 
brains  and  determination  may  succeed  in  some 
difficult  walk  in  life,  for  which  special  and  particular 
training  have  been  always  considered  necessary. 

When  the  South  chose  to  inaugurate  the  return 
of  the  flowers,  the  budding  of  the  leaves,  in  1861, 
by  tearing  from  the  old  flag  some  of  its  sacred 
stars,  the  country  paused  a moment,  waiting,  as  it 
were,  actors  for  the  tragedy  about  to  begin,  leaders 
for  the  now  inevitable  armies.  The  guns  that  had 
opened  upon  Sumter  on  the  memorable  12  th  of 
April,  had  not  merely  crumbled  the  walls  of  that 
Southern  fortress,  but  they  shattered  also  all  hopes 


I i 6 LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAIiEER  OP 

of  a peaceful  solution  of  the  problems  then  before, 
the  country. 

Civil  war  had  become  a sad  necessity ; a bitter 
fact  to  write  upon  the  pages  of  a nation’s  history 
begun  so  gloriously  in  1776.  The  President’s  pro- 
clamation of  the  15th  called  forth  the  militia  for 
^objects  entirely  lawful  and  constitutional,  and  it 
was  responded  to  with  a patriotic  fervor  which 
melted  down  all  previously  existing  party  lines. 
This  “ uprising  of  a great  people,”  as  it  was  well 
termed  by  a foreign  writer,  was  a kindling  and 
noble  spectacle.  The.  hearts  of  a whole  land 
throbbed  as  one.  But  we  cannot  now  glance  back 
upon  the  brilliant  and  burning  enthusiasm  that 
lighted  our  beloved  country  like  a torch  without  a 
touch  of  sadness.  For  there  was  commingled  with 
it  so  much  ignorance,  not  merely  of  the  magnitude 
of  the  contest  before  us,  but  of  the  nature  of  war 
itself.  The  high-spirited  young  men  who  thronged 
to  swell  the  ranks  of  the  volunteer  force  at  the 
call  of  duty,  marched  off  as  gayly  as  if  they  were 
participants  in  a holiday  turnout,  a party  of  pic- 
nickers rather  than  devoted  patriots  upon  a high 
percentage  of  whom  the  death  seal  was  already 
set.  The  Rebellion  was  to  be  put  down  at  once, 
and  by  little  more  than  the  mere  show  of  the  pre- 
ponderating force  of  the  loyal  States ; and  the 
task  of  putting  it  down  was  to  be  attended  with 
no  more  danger  than  was  sufficient  to  give  the 
enterprise  a due  flavor  of  excitement.  War  was 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


117 

unknown  to  us  except  by  report ; the  men  of  the 
Revolution  were  but  spectres  of  a jeweled  past; 
the  veterans  of  1812  were  some  of  them  still 
alive,  but  even  they  were  gray  with  years  and  the 
memories  of  events. 

“ All  of  which  they  saw,  and  part  of  which  they  were,” 

could  be  but  dimly,  disjointedly  recalled.  We 
had  read  of  battles ; we  had  seen  something 
of  the  pomp  of  holiday  soldiers  ; but  of  the  grim 
realities  of  war  we  were  absolutely  ignorant.  In- 
deed, not  a few  had  come  to  the  conclusion  that 
war  was  a relic  of  barbarism,  which  civilization  had 
so  outgrown  that  modern  times  had  forever  dis- 
pensed  with  the  soldier  and  his  sword. 

It  need  hardly  be  said  that  the  call  to  conflict 
found  us  totally  unprepared  for  the  great  storm 
about  to  break.  Our  regular  army  was  insignifi- 
cant in  numbers  and  scattered  over  our  vast  ter- 
ritory or  along  our  Western  frontier,  so  that  it 
was  impossible  to  collect  any  considerable  force 
anywhere  together.  Our  militia  system  had  every- 
where fallen  into  neglect,  allowed  to  die  for  want 
of  interest,  and  in  some  States  had  almost  ceased 
to  have  any  existence  whatever.  The  wits  laughed 
at  it;  it  was  a common  subject  of  newspaper  criti- 
cism ; it  was  christened  “the  cornstalk  militia;” 
platform  orators  declaimed  against  it.  Indeed,  so 
low  had  it  fallen  in  public  estimation,  that  it  re- 
quired some  moral  courage  to  march  through  the 
streets  at  the  head  of  a company. 


I i 3 LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 

The  South  had  been  wiser,  or  at  least,  more 
provident  in  this  respect.  The  military  spirit  had 
never  been  discouraged  there.  Many  of  the  politi- 
cal leaders  had  long  been  looking  forward  to  the 
time  when  the  unhappy  sectional  contests  which 
were  distracting  the  country  would  blaze  into  a 
civil  war,  and  preparing  for  it.  They  watched  the 
smouldering  fire  of  discontent,  and  waited  the  great 
conflagration  of  blood.  In  some  of  the  States 
there  had  been  military  academies  where  a military 
education  had  been  obtained,  so  that  they  had  a 
greater  number  of  trained  officers  to  put  into  their 
regiments.  This  gave  them  a considerable  ad- 
vantage at  the  start,  an  advantage  more  real  than 
seeming,  and  one  they  were  not  slow  to  turn  to  its 
fullest  promise. 

At  the  North  the  people  paused  a moment  to 
ask  themselves  where  were  they  to  get  the  needed 
officers.  Graduates  of  West  Point  were  scattered 
over  the  country ; to  them  the  civil  authorities 
turned  for  assistance.  This  they  rendered  freely 
and  ably,  but  it  was,  of  necessity,  limited  in  its 
scope.  In  most  States  the  militia  elected  their 
own  officers,  and  there  was  no  other  resource  than 
to  continue  the  system  until  time  and  the  fire  of 
the  enemy’s  guns  should  level  the  abilities  of  the 
civilians,  and  bring  to  the  front  those  who  had  the 
best  title  to  be  there.  This  produced  a result  of 
which  we  have  no  reason  to  be  the  least  ashamed. 
A race  of  civilian  officers,  proving  their  right  to 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


II9 

command  by  deeds,  not  diplomas,  winning  expe- 
rience at  the  point  of  the  bayonet,  and  testing 
bravery  beneath  the  bullets  of  the  foe,  sprang 
everywhere  into  sight  in  the  great  upholding  of 
the  Stars  and  Stripes.  To  this  class,  now  occupy- 
ing a place  in  our  history,  that  is  to  us  a crown- 
ing wreath  of  credit,  James  A.  Garfield  belonged, 
and  of  those  who  were  his  comrades  few  show  a 
better,  braver  record  than  he. 

When  the  secession  of  the  Southern  States  be- 
gun, National  considerations  were  of  paramount 
importance  in  Ohio  as  elsewhere.  Indeed,  the 
early  signs  of  the  dissolution  between  the  North 
and  South  had  attracted  earnest  attention  and  se- 
vere comment  in  that  State.  In  its  Senate  and 
House  of  Representatives  many  a debate  had 
been  held,  wherein  the  seeds  of  secessionists’  doc- 
trines had  been  sought  to  be  planted  by  men  who 
saw  amiss.  Garfield,  as  it  will  be  remembered, 
was  a member  of  the  Senate,  having  been  elected 
to  represent  Portage  and  Summit  Counties  two 
years  before.  The  spring  of  1861  found  the  Sen- 
ate, of  which  he  was  a member,  earnestly  occupy- 
ing its  time  with  those  questions  that  had  so 
much  interest  within  as  well  as  beyond  the  bor- 
ders of  Ohio.  Garfield’s  course  on  all  these  ques- 
tions was  manly  and  outspoken.  He  was  fore- 
most in  the  very  small  number  (only  six  voting 
with  him)  who  thought  the  spring  of  1861  a bad 
time  for  adopting  the  Corwin  Constitutional 


I 20 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


Amendment,  forbidding  Congress  from  ever  legis- 
lating on  the  subject  of  slavery  in  the  States.  He 
was  among  the  foremost  in  maintaining  the  right 
of^the  National  Government  to  coerce  seceded 
States.  “Would  you  give  up  the  forts  and  other 
government  property  in  those  States,  or  would 
you  fight  to  maintain  your  right  to  them?”  was 
his  adroit  way  of  putting  the  question  to  a con- 
servative Republican  who  deplored  his  incendiary 
views. 

It  was  under  his  leadership,  and  of  his  own  per- 
sonal initiation,  that  a bill  was  passed  declaring 
any  resident  of  the  State,  who  gave  aid  and  com- 
fort to  the  enemies-  of  the  United  States,  guilty  of 
treason  against  the  State,  to  be  punished  by  im- 
prisonment in  the  penitentiary  for  life. 

Ohio,  when  the  great  call  came,  was  as  unpre- 
pared as  were  other  States.  There  was  a small 
force  of  militia  nominally  organized,  but  the  con- 
stitution and  laws  of  the  State  provided  that 
all  its  officers  should  be  elected  by  the  men,  and 
the  governor  was  limited  in  his  selection  of  officers, 
in  case  the  militia  was  called  out,  to  the  parties 
so  chosen.  Everywhere,  however,  there  was  en- 
thusiasm for  the  cause  and  a wild  willingness  to 
help  the  government  by  every  possible  sacrifice 
that  a great  people  could  make.  When  the 
President’s  call  for  seventy-five  thousand  men  was 
announced  to  the  Ohio  Senate,  Senator  Garfield 
was  instantly  on  his  feet,  and  amid  the  tumultuous 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


121 


acclamations  from  the  assemblage,  moved  that 
1 twenty  thousand  troops  and  three  millions  of 
money”  should  be  at  once  voted  as  Ohio’s  quota! 
His  speech  he  immediately  illustrated  by  offering 
his  own  services  in  any  capacity  Governor  Denni- 
son might  choose.  That  he  should  uphold  the  flag 
was  demanded  both  by  patriotism  and  by  the  logic 
of  the  Republican  doctrine,  that  he  had  so  nobly, 
so  bravely  upheld.  It  was  but  the  second  stage 
of  resistance  to  slavery.  While  waiting  a wider 
field,  he  occupied  himself  with  the  arming  of  the 
militia  or  any  measure  that  had  for  its  object  the 
advancement  of  the  plans  then  in  progress.  He 
made  a hasty  journey  to  Illinois,  and  procured  five 
thousand  muskets,  which  he  shipped  to  Columbus 
to  arm  some  of  the  first  regiments  that  formed 
upon  Ohio  soil.  He  then  returned  to  the  capital. 

From  here  he  wrote  as  follows  to  Mr.  Hins- 
dale : 

“Columbus,  January  15th,  1S61. 

“ My  heart  and  thoughts  are  full  almost  every  moment  with  the  terrible 
reality  of  our  country’s  condition.  We  have  learned  so  long  to  look  upon 
the  convulsions  of  European  States  as  things  wholly  impossible  here,  that 
the  people  are  slow  in  coming  to  the  belief  that  there  may  be  any  breaking 
up  of  our  institutions,  but  stern,  awful  certainty  is  fastening  upon  the  heart; 
of  men.  I do  not  see  any  way,  outside  a miracle  of  God,  which  can  avoid 
civil  war  with  all  its  attendant  horrors.  Peaceable  dissolution  is  utterly  im- 
possible. Indeed,  I cannot  say  that  I would  wish  it  possible.  To  make 
the  concessions  demanded  by  the  South  would  be  hypocritical  and  sinful ; 
they  would  neither  be  obeyed  nor  respected.  I am  inclined  to  believe  that 
the  sin  of  slavery  is  one  of  which  it  may  be  said  that  without  the  shedding  of 
blood  there  is  no  remission.  All  that  is  left  us  as  a State,  or  say  as  a com- 
pany of  Northern  States,  is  to  arm  and  prepare  to  defend  ourselves  and  the 
Federal  Government.  I believe  the  doom  of  slavery  is  drawing  near.  Let 
war  come,  and  the  slaves  will  get  the  vague  notion  that  it  is  waged  for  them, 
and  a magazine  will  be  lighted  whose  explosion  will  shake  the  whole  fabric 
of  slavery.  Even  if  all  this  happen,  I cannot  yet  abandon  the  belief  that 
one  government  will  rule  this  continent,  and  its  people  be  one  people. 


122 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


“ Meantime,  what  will  be  the  influence  of  the  times  on  individuals  ? 
Your  question  is  very  interesting  and  suggestive.  The  doubt  that  hangs 
over  the  whole  issue  bears  touching  also.  It  may  be  the  duty  of  our  young 
men  to  join  the  army,  or  they  may  be  drafted  without  their  own  consent.  If 
neither  of  these  things  happen,  there  will  be  a period  when  old  men  and 
young  will  be  electrified  by  the  spirit  of  the  times,  and  one  result  will  be  to 
make  every  individuality  more  marked  and  their  opinions  more  decisive.  I 
believe  the  times  will  be  even  more  favorable  than  calm  ones  for  the  forma’ 
tion  of  strong  and  forcible  characters. 

“Just  at  this  time  (have  you  observed  the  fact?)  we  have  no  man  who 
has  power  to  ride  upon  the  storm  and  direct  it.  The  hour  has  come,  but 
not  the  man.  The  crisis  will  make  many  such.  But  I do  not  love  to  spec- 
ulate on  so  painful  a theme.  * * * I am  chosen  to  respond  to  a toast 

on  the  Union  at  the  State  Printers’  Festival  here  next  Thursday  evening.  It 
is  a sad  and  difficult  theme  at  this  time.” 


“ Columbus,  February  16th,  1861. 

“ Mr.  Lincoln  has  come  and  gone.  The  rush  of  people  to  see  him  at 
every  point  on  the  route  is  astonishing.  The  reception  here  was  plain  and 
republican,  but  very  impressive.  He  has  been  raising  a respectable  pair 
of  dark-brown  whiskers,  which  decidedly  improve  his  looks,  but  no  ap- 
pendage can  ever  render  him  remarkable  for  beauty.  On  the  whole,  I am 
greatly  pleased  with  him.  He  clearly  shows  his  want  of  culture,  and  the 
marks  of  Western  life  but  there  is  no  touch  of  affectation  in  him,  and  he 
has  a peculiar  power  of  impressing  you  that  he  is  frank,  direct  and  thor- 
oughly honest.  His  remarkable  good  sense,  simple  and  condensed  style 
of  expression,  and  evident  marks  of  indomitable  will,  give  me  great  hopes 
for  the  country.  And,  after  the  long,  dreary  period  of  Buchanan’s  weakness 
and  cowardly  imbecility,  the  people  will  hail  a strong  and  vigorous  leader. 

‘‘  I have  never  brought  my  mind  to  consent  to  the  dissolution  peaceably. 
I know  it  may  be  asked,  Is  it  not  better  to  dissolve  before  war  than  after? 
But  I ask,  Is  it  not  better  to  fight  before  dissolution  than  after?  If  the 
North  and  South  cannot  live  in  the  Union  without  war,  how  can  they  live 
and  expand  as  dissevered  nations  without  it?  May  it  not  be  an  economy 
of  bloodshed  to  tell  the  South  that  disunion  is  war,  and  that  the  United 
States  Government  will  protect  its  property  and  execute  its  laws  at  all 
hazards. 

“ I confess  the  great  weight  of  the  thought  in  your  letter  of  the  Plymouth 
and  Jamestown  ideas,  and  their  vital  and  utter  antagonism.  This  conflict 
may  yet  break  the  vase  by  the  lustiness  of  its  growth  and  strength,  but 
the  history  of  other  nations  gives  me  hope.  Every  government  has  peri- 
ods when  its  strength  and  unity  are  tested.  England  has  passed  through 
the  Wars  of  the  Roses  and  the  days  of  Cromwell.  A monarchy  is  more 
easily  overthrown  than  a republic,  because  its  sovereignty  is  concentrated, 
and  a single  blow,  if  it  be  powerful  enough,  will  crush  it. 

“ Burke,  this  is  really  a great  time  to  live  in,  if  any  of  us  can  only  catch 
the  cue  of  it.  I am  glad  you  write  on  these  subjects,  and  you  must  blame 
yourself  for  having  made  me  inflict  on  you  the  longest  letter  I have  writ- 
ten to  any  one  in  more  than  a year.” 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


CHAPTER  X. 

AT  THE  HEAD  OF  A REGIMENT. 

"Y  THEN  the  time  came  for  appointing 
\ /\  / officers  for  the  troops  so  hastily  got 
™ ’ together,  Garfield  displayed,”  says 

Whitelaw  Reid,  in  his  “Ohio  in  the  War,”  “his 
signal  want  of  tact  and  skill  in  advancing  his  own 
interests.  Of  the  three  leading  Radical  senators, 
Garfield  had  the  most  personal  popularity.  Cox 
was  at  that  time,  perhaps,  a more  compact  and 
pointed  speaker,  he  had  matured  earlier  as  (to 
change  the  figure)  he  was  to  culminate  sooner. 
But  he  had  never  aroused  the  warm  regard  which 
Garfield’s  whole-hearted,  generous  disposition 
always  excited,  yet  Cox  had  the  sagacity  to  see 
how  his  interests  were  to  be  advanced.  He  aban- 
doned the  Senate-chamber,  installed  himself  as 
assistant  in  the  governor’s  office,  made  his  skill 
felt  in  the  rush  of  business,  and  soon  convinced 
the  appointing  power  of  his  special  aptitude  for 
military  affairs.  In  natural  sequence  he  was  pres- 
ently appointed  a brigadier-general,  while  Gar- 
field was  sent  off  on  a mission  to  some  western 
States  to  see  about  arms  for  the  Ohio  volunteers.” 

On  the  14th  of  August,  1861,  some  months  after 
the  adjournment  of  the  Legislature,  Governor 


124 


LIFE  AMD  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


Dennison  offered  Garfield  the  lieutenant-colonelcy 
of  the  Forty-second  Ohio,  a regiment  not  yet 
formed,  and  one  which  Garfield  had  been  instru- 
mental in  bringing  into  existence  with  the  active 
aid  of  Judge  Sheldon,  of  Illinois,  Don  A.  Pardee, 
of  Medina,  Ralph  Plumb,  of  Oberlin,  and  other 
patriotic  citizens  of  his  district.  He  did  not  ac- 
cept the  tendered  command  hastily,  he  did  not 
grasp  the  glitter  of  command  with  the  avidity  of 
an  aspirant  for  honors.  He  went  home,  opened 
his  mother’s  Bible,  and  pondered  upon  the  sub- 
ject. He  had  a wife,  a child,  and  a few  thousand 
dollars.  If  he  gave  his  life  to  the  country,  would 
God  and  the  few  thousand  dollars  provide  for  his 
wife  and  child  ? He  consulted  the  Book  about  it. 
It  seemed  to  answer  in  the  affirmative,  and  before 
morning  he  wrote  to  a friend : 

“I  regard  my  life  as  given  to  the  country.  I am 
only  anxious  to  make  as  much  of  it  as  possible 
before  the  mortgage  on  it  is  foreclosed.” 

At  the  same  sitting  he  wrote  Governor  Denni- 
son his  acceptance  of  the  appointment.  The  regi- 
ment with  which  he  had  thus  considerately  chosen 
to  cast  his  lot  was  principally  recruited  from  Por- 
tege  and  Summit  Counties.  Most  of  the  officers 
and  privates  had  been  students  of  Hiram  College, 
and  it  was  in  a certain  degree  the  transfer  of  that 
Campbellite  institution  en  masse  to  another  field 
where  the  church  militant  was  to  become  militant 
\n  truth  a*nd  finally  the  church  triumphant. 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


125 


Five  weeks  were  spent  in  drilling,  and  the  regi- 
inentwas  encamped  at  Camp  Chase  near  Columbus. 
Companies  A,  B,  C and  D were  mustered  into  ser- 
vice September  25th,  1861,  Company  E,  October 
30th,  Company  F,  November  12th,  and  Companies 
G,  H,  I and  K,  November  26th,  at  which  time  the 
organization  was  completed. 

Garfield  at  once  set  vigorously  to  work  to  mas- 
ter the  art  and  mystery  of  war,  and  to  give  his 
men  such  a degree  of  discipline  as  would  fit  them 
for  effective  service  in  the  field.  Bringing  his  saw 
and  jack-plane  again  into  play,  he  fashioned  com- 
panies, officers  and  non-commissioned  officers 
out  of  maple  blocks,  and  with  these  wooden- 
headed troops  he  thoroughly  mastered  the  infan- 
try tactics  in  his  quarters.  Then  he  organized  a 
school  for  the  officers  of  his  regiment,  requiring 
thorough  recitation  in  the  tactics,  and  illustrating 
the  manoeuvres  by  the  blocks  he  had  prepared  for 
his  own  instruction.  This  done,  he  instituted  regi- 
mental, company,  squad,  skirmish  and  bayonet 
drill,  and  kept  his  men  at  these  exercises  from  six 
to  eight  hours  a day,  until  it  was  universally 
admitted  that  no  better  drilled  or  disciplined  regi- 
ment could  be  found  in  Ohio. 

At  the  time  Garfield  was  appointed  lieutenant 
colonel,  it  was  understood  that  had  he  cared  to 
push  the  matter  he  might  have  been  made  colo- 
nel, but,  with  a modesty  quite  unusual  in  those 
early  days  of  the  war,  he  preferred  to  start  low 


126 


LIFE  AND  PUB L e€  CARED*  OF 


and  rise  as  he  learned.  It  was  but  a just  tribute, 
therefore,  that  on  the  completion  of  his  organiza- 
tion he  was,  without  his  own  solicitation,  promoted 
to  the  colonelcy.  The  regiment  saw  three  years 
of  service  ; the  last  of  the  men  were  mustered  out 
December  2d,  1864. 

It  was  not  until  the  14th  of  December  that 
orders  for  the  field  were  received  at  Camp 
Chase  for  Colonel  Garfield’s  command.  Yet 
to  this  date  no  active  operations  had  been  at- 
tempted in  the  great  department  that  lay  south  of 
the  Ohio  River.  The  spell  of  Bull  Run  still  hung 
over  our  armies.  Save  the  campaign  in  Western 
Virginia  and  the  attack  by  General  Grant  at  Bel- 
mont, not  a single  engagement  had  occurred  over 
all  the  region  between  the  Alleghanies  and  the 
Mississippi.  General  Buell  was  preparing  to 
advance  upon  Bowling  Green,  when  he  suddenly 
found  himself  hampered  by  two  co-operating  forces 
skillfully  planted  within  striking  distance  of  his 
flank.  General  Zollikoffer  was  advancing  from 
Cumberland  Gap  toward  Mill  Spring;  and  Hum- 
phrey Marshall,  moving  down  the  Sandy  Valley 
from  Virginia,  was  threatening  to  overrun  Eastern 
Kentucky.  Till  these  could  be  driven  back,  an 
advance  upon  Bowling  Green  would  be  perilous, 
if  not  actually  impossible.  To  General  George 
H.  Thomas,  then  just  raised  from  his  colonelcy  of 
regulars  to  a brigadiership  of  volunteers,  was  com- 
mitted the  task  of  repulsing  Zollikoffer ; to  the  un- 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


127 


tried  colonel  of  the  raw  Forty-second  Ohio  the 
task  of  repulsing  Humphrey  Marshall.  And  on 
their  success  the  whole  army  of  the  Department 
waited. 

Colonel  Garfield’s  orders  directed  him  to  move 
his  command  to  Catlettsburg,  Kentucky,  a town  at 
the  junction  of  the  Big  Sandy  and  the  Ohio,  and 
to  report  immediately,  in  person,  to  the  Depart- 
ment Head-quarters  at  Louisville.  The  regiment 
went  by  rail  to  Cincinnati,  and  thence  by  boat  to 
Catlettsburg,  where  it  arrived  on  the  morning  of 
December  17th.  By  sunset  of  the  19th,  Colonel 
Garfield  reported  to  General  Buell,  at  Louisville. 
In  his  interview  with  that  officer,  he  was  informed 
that  he  was  to  be  sent  against  Humphrey  Mar- 
shall, who  had  in  his  advance  reached  as  far  north 
as  Prestonburg,  driving  the  Union  forces  before 
him. 

Our  hero  was  now  face  to  face  with  the  actuali- 
ties of  the  conflict,  he  was  to  command  an  expedi- 
tion to  which  great  importance  was  attached,  and 
on  which  great  results  might  depend.  The  prize 
at  stake  was  Kentucky.  If  the  rebel  plan  was 
successful,  Kentucky  would  probably  go  out  of  the 
Union  at  once;  if  the  Federal  operations  suc- 
ceeded, secession  might  be  delayed  indefinitely  or 
prevented.  Marshall  was  expected  by  the  rebel 
authorities  to  advance  toward  Lexington,  unite  with 
Zollikoffer  and  establish  the  authority  of  the  Pro- 
visional Government  at  the  State  capital.  These 


128 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


hopes  were  fed  by  the  recollection  of  his  great  in- 
tellectual abilities  and  the  soldierly  reputation  he 
had  borne  ever  since  he  led  the  famous  charg-e  of 
the  Kentucky  volunteers  at  Buena  Vista.  It  was 
also  feared  that  he,  with  the  large  army  he  could 
gather,  if  unmolested,  would  hang  upon  Buell’s 
flank,  and  so  prevent  his  advance  into  Tennessee; 
or,  if  he  did  advance,  cut  off  his  communications 
and  falling  on  his  rear  while  Beauregard  encoun- 
tered him  in  front,  crush  him,  as  it  were,  between 
the  upper  and  nether  millstones.  This  done,  Ken- 
tucky was  lost,  and  that  occurring  so  early  in  the 
war,  the  dissolution  of  the  Union  might  have 
followed. 

To  check  this  dangerous  advance,  meet  Marshall, 
a thoroughly  educated  military  man,  and  the 
uncounted  thousands  whom  his  reputation  would 
draw  about  him,  Colonel  Garfield  was  asked  to 
plan  a movement.  He  had  come  into  the  war 
with  a life  not  his  own  and  was  now  called  upon  to 
prove  his  title  to  the  confidence  his  State  had  re- 
posed in  him.  He  knew  nothing  of  war  beyond 
its  fundamental  principles  ; which  are,  as  stated  by 
some  writer,  that  “a  big  boy  can  whip  a little  boy, 
and  that  the  big  boy  can  whip  two  little  boys,  if  he 
take  them  singly  one  after  another.”  He  knew 
no  more  about  it  when  General  Buell,  one  of  the 
most  ^scientific  military  men  of  his  time,  selected 
him  to  solve  a problem  which  has  puzzled  the 
heads  of  the  ablest  generals ; namely,  how  two 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


I 29 


small  bodies  of  men  stationed  widely  apart  can 
unite  in  the  face  of  an  enemy  and  beat  him,  when 
he  is  twice  the  united  strength,  and  strongly  post- 
ed behind  intrenchments. 

To  do  this  Garfield  was  given,  what?  Twenty- 
five  hundred  men,  eleven  hundred  of  whom  under 
Colonel  Cramer  were  at  Paris,  Ky.,  the  remainder, 
his  own  regiment  and  the  half-formed  Fourteenth 
Kentucky,  under  Colonel  Moore,  at  Catlettsburg; 
a hundred  miles  of  mountain  country,  overrun 
with  rebels  being-  between  them.  This  was  the 
problem  of  the  big  boy  of  uncertain  size,  but 
known  to  be  skilled  in  war,  and  the  two  little  boys 
who  were  to  whip  him  when  only  by  a miracle 
could  they  act  together,  and  when  they  knew  no 
more  of  war  than  can  be  learned  from  the  postur- 
ing of  wooden  blocks  and  the  crack  perhaps  of 
squirrel  rifles. 

“That  is  what  you  have  to  do,  Colonel  Gar- 
field— drive  Marshall  from  Kentucky,”  said  Buell, 
when  he  had  finished  his  view  of  the  situation, 
“and  you  see  how  much  depends  on  your  action. 
Now,  go  to  your  quarters,  think  of  it  over  night 
and  come  here  in  the  morning  and  tell  me  how 
you  will  do  it.” 

On  his  way  to  his  hotel,  the  young  colonel 
bought  a rude  map  of  Kentucky,  and  then  shut- 
ting himself  in  his  room,  spent  the  night  in  study- 
ing the  geography  of  the  country  in  which  he  was 
to  operate,  and  in  making  notes  of  the  plan  which, 


130 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


in  the  still,  small  hours,  came  to  him  as  the  only 
one  feasible  and  likely  to  secure  the  objects 
of  the  campaign. 

His  interview  with  the  commanding  general  on 
the  following  morning  was,  as  may  be  imagined, 
one  of  peculiar  interest.  Few  army  officers  pos- 
sessed more  reticence,  terse  logic  and  severe 
military  habits,  than  General  Buell,  and  as  the 
young  man  laid  his  rude  map  and  roughly-outlined 
plan  on  his  table,  and  with  a curious  and  anxious 
face  watched  his  features  to  detect  some  indication 
of  his  thought,  the  scene  was  one  for  a painter. 
But  no  word  or  look  indicated  the  commander’s 
opinion  of  the  feasibility  of  the  plan,  or  the  good 
sense  of  the  suggestions.  He  spoke  now  and 
then  in  a quiet,  sententious  manner,  but  said  noth- 
ing of  approval  or  disapproval ; only,  at  the  close 
of  the  conference,  he  made  a single  remark : 

“Your  orders  will  be  sent  to  you  at  six  o’clock, 
this  evening.” 

Promptly  at  that  hour  the  order  came,  organiz- 
ing the  Eighteenth  Brigade  of  the  Army  of  the 
Ohio,  Colonel  Garfield  commanding,  and  with  the 
order  came  a letter  of  instructions  for  the  cam- 
paign, recapitulating,  with  very  slight  modifica- 
tions, the  plans  submitted  by  Garfield  that  same 
morning.  On  the  following  morning  he  took  his 
leave  of  his  general.  The  latter  said  to  him  at 
parting: 

“ Colonel,  you  will  be  at  so  great  a distance  from 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


13* 

me,  and  communications  will  be  so  slow  and  diffi- 
cult, that  I must  commit  all  matters  of  detail,  and 
much  of  the  fate  of  the  campaign  to  your  discre- 
tion. I shall  hope  to  hear  a good  account  ol 
you.” 

Garfield  at  once  set  out  for  Catlettsburg,  and, 
arriving  there  on  the  2 2d  of  December,  found  his 
regiment  had  already  proceeded  to  Louisa,  twenty- 
eight  miles  up  the  Big  Sandy. 

A state  of  general  alarm  existed  throughout 
the  district.  The  Fourteenth  Kentucky — the  only 
force  of  Union  troops  left  in  the  Big  Sandy 
region — had  been<^stationed  at  Louisa,  but  had 
hastily  retreated  to  the  mouth  of  the  river  dur- 
ing the  night  of  the  19th,  under  the  impression 
that  Marshall,  with  his  whole  force,  was  follow- 
ing to  drive  them  into  the  Ohio.  Union  citizens 
and  their  families  were  preparing  to  cross  the 
river  for  safety,  but  with  the  appearance  of 
General  Garfield’s  regiment  a feeling  of  secu- 
rity returned,  and  this  was  increased  when  it 
was  seen  that  the  Union  troops  boldly  pushed 
on  to  Louisa  without  even  waiting  for  their 
colonel.  This,  however,  was  only  in  pursu- 
ance of  orders  he  had  telegraphed  on  the  morn- 
ing after  he  had  formed  the  plan  of  the  cam- 
paign by  midnight,  in  his  dingy  quarters  of  his 
Louisville  hotel. 

Waiting  at  Catlettsburg  only  long  enough  to 
forward  supplies  to  his  forces,  Garfield  appeared 


132 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


at  Louisa  on  the  morning  of  December  24th,  and 
thence  forward  he  became  an  actor  in,  all  its  cir- 
cumstances considered,  one  of  the  most  wonder- 
ful dramas  to  be  read  of  in  history. 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD . 


T33 


CHAPTER  XI. 


OPENING  THE  BIG  SANDY  CAMPAIGN. 


ARFIELD  had  two  very  difficult  things  to 


accomplish.  He  had  to  open  communica- 


tions with  Colonel  Cranor,  while  the  in- 


tervening country,  as  has  been  said,  was  infested 
with  roving  bands  of  rebels  and  populated  by 
disloyal  people.  He  had  also  to  form  a junction 
with  the  force  under  that  officer  in  the  face  of  a 
superior  enemy  who  would  doubtless  be  apprised 
of  his  every  movement  and  be  likely  to  fall  upon 
his  separate  columns  the  moment  either  was  set 
in  motion,  in  the  hope  of  crushing  them  in  detail. 
Either  operation  was  hazardous  if  not  well-nigh 
impossible. 

Evidently  the  first  thing  to  be  done  was  to  find 
a trustworthy  messenger  to  convey  dispatches 
between  the  two  halves  of  his  army.  To  this  end 
Garfield  applied  to  Colonel  Moore  of  the  Four- 
teenth Kentucky. 

“Plave  you  a man”  he  asked,  “who  will  die  rather 
than  fail  and  betray  us?” 

The  Kentuckian  reflected  a moment,  then 
answered : 

“I  think  I have,  John  Jordan  from  the  head  of 


the  Blaine.” 


J34 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


Jordan  was  sent  for  and  soon  entered  the  tent 
of  the  Union  commander.  He  was  somewhat  of 
a noted  character  in  that  region,  a descendant  of 
a Scotchman  belonging  to  a family  of  men  who 
ever  died  in  the  defense  of  some  honor  or  trust. 
Jordan  was  also  a born  actor,  a man  of  unflinching 
courage,  of  great  expedients  and  devoted  to  the 
true  principles  that  bind  this  land  in  the  solidity  of 
a great  union. 

On  his  appearance,  Garfield  was  at  once  im- 
pressed in  his  favor.  He  remembers  him  to-day 
as  a tall,  gaunt,  sallow  man,  of  about  thirty  years, 
with  gray  eyes,  a fine  falsetto  voice,  pitched  in  the 
minor  key,  and  a face  that  had  as  many  expres- 
sions as  could  be  found  in  a regiment.  To  the 
young  colonel  he  seemed  a strange  combination 
of  cunning,  simplicity,  undaunted  courage  and  un- 
doubting faith,  but  possessed  of  a quaint  sort  of 
wisdom,  which  ought  to  have  given  him  to  history. 
He  sounded  him  thoroughly,  for  the  fate  of  the 
campaign  might  depend  upon  his  fidelity;  but 
Jordan’s  soul  was  as  clear  as  crystal,  and  in  ten 
minutes  Garfield  had  read  it  as  if  it  had  been  an 
open  volume. 

“Why  did  you  come  into  this  war?”  at  last 
asked  the  commander. 

“To  do  my  part  for  the  country,  colonel,”  an- 
swered Jordan,  “and  I made  no  terms  with  the 
Lord.  I gave  Him  my  life  without  conditions,  and 
if  He  sees  fit  to  take  it  in  this  tramp,  why,  it  is 
His.  I have  nothing  to  say  against  it.” 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


135 

“You  mean  you  have  come  into  the  war  not 
expecting  to  get  out  of  it?” 

“I  do,  colonel.” 

“Will  you  die  rather  than  let  this  dispatch  be 
taken?” 

“I  will.” 

The  colonel  recalled  what  had  passed  in  his  own 
mind,  when  poring  over  his  mother’s  Bible  that 
night  at  his  home  in  Ohio,  and  it  decided  him. 

“Very  well,”  he  said;  “I  will  trust  you.” 

The  dispatch  was  written  on  tissue  paper,  rolled 
into  the  form  of  a bullet,  coated  with  warm  lead, 
and  put  into  the  hand  of  Jordan.  He  was  given 
a carbine  and  a brace  of  revolvers,  and  mounting 
his  horse  when  the  moon  was  down,  he  started  on 
his  perilous  journey,  where,  in  spite  of  its  most  ro- 
mantic interest,  we  cannot  follow  him. 

By  midnight  of  the  second  day  Jordan  reached 
Colonel  Cranor’s  quarters,  at  McCormick’s  Gap, 
and  delivered  his  precious  billet.  The  colonel 
opened  the  dispatch.  It  was  dated  Louisa,  De- 
cember 24th,  midnight,  and  directed  him  to  move 
his  regiment  at  once  to  Prestonburg.  He  would 
encumber  the  men  with  as  few  rations  as  possible 
and  as  little  baggage,  bearing  in  mind  that  the 
safety  of  his  command  would  depend  on  his  expe- 
dition. He  would  also  cause  the  dispatch  to  be 
conveyed  to  Lieutenant-Colonel  Woolford,  at 
Stamford,  and  direct  him  to  join  the  march  with 
his  three  hundred  cavalry.  Hours  were  now  worth 


136  LIFE  and  public  career  of 

months  of  common  time,  and  on  the  following 
morning  Cranor’s  column  was  set  in  motion. 

The  dispatch  fully  revealed  to  Cranor  Garfield’s 
intention  to  move  at  once  upon  the  enemy.  Of 
Marshall’s  real  strength  he  is  ignorant,  but  his 
scouts  and  the  country  people  report  that  the 
rebel’s  main  body — which  is  intrenched  in  an  al- 
most impregnable  position  near  Paintville — is  from 
four  to  seven  thousand,  and  that  an  outlying  force 
of  eight  hundred  occupies  West  Liberty,  a town 
directly  on  die  route  by  which  Colonel  Cranor  is 
to  march  to  effect  a junction  with  Garfield’s  men. 
Cranor’s  column  is  one  thousand  one  hundred 
strong,  and  the  main  body,  under  Garfield,  num- 
bers about  seventeen  hundred,  consisting  of  the 
Forty-second  Ohio  Infantry,  one  thousand  and 
thirteen  strong,  and  the  Fourteenth  Kentucky  In- 
fantry, numbering  five  hundred,  rank  and  file,  but 
imperfectly  armed  and  equipped.  All  told,  Gar- 
field’s force,  therefore,  counted  two  thousand  eight 
hundred,  in  a strange  district,  cut  off  from  rein- 
forcements, with  which  to  meet  and  crush  an  army 
of  at  least  five  thousand,  familiar  with  the  country 
and  daily  receiving  recruits  from  the  disaffected 
southern  counties.  Evidently  a forward  movement 
is  attended  with  great  hazard,  but  the  Union  com- 
mander does  not  waste  time  in  considering  the 
obstacles  and  dangers  of  the  expedition.  On 
the  morning  following  the  scout’s  departure  for 
Cranor’s  camp,  Garfield  sets  out  with  such  of  his 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


T37 


command  as  are  in  readiness,  and  halting  at 
George’s  Creek,  only  twenty  miles  from  Mar- 
shall's intrenched  position,  prepares  to  move  at 
once  upon  the  enemy. 

The  roads  along  the  Big  Sandy  are  impassable 
for  trains,  and  the  close  proximity  of  the  enemy 
renders  it  unsafe  to  make  so  wide  a detour  from 
the  river  as  would  be  required  to  send  supplies 
by  the  table-lands  to  the  westward.  Under  these 
circumstances  Garfield  decides  to  depend  mainly 
upon  water  navigation  to  transport  his  supplies, 
and  to  use  the  army-train  only  when  his  troops 
are  obliged,  by  absolutely  impassable  roads,  to 
move  away  from  the  river. 

The  Big  Sandy  is  a narrow,  fickle  stream,  that 
finds  its  way  to  the  Ohio  through  the  roughest  and 
wildest  spurs  of  the  Cumberland  Mountains.  At 
low  water  it  is  not  navigable  above  Louisa,  except 
for  small  flat-boats  pushed  by  hand,  but  these  as- 
cend as  high  as  Piketon,  one  hundred  and  twenty 
miles  from  the  mouth  of  the  river.  In  time  of 
high  water  small  steamers  can  reach  Piketon ; but 
heavy  freshets  render  navigation  impracticable, 
owing  to  the  swift  current  filled  with  floating  tim- 
ber, and  to  the  overhanging  trees,  which  almost 
touch  one  another  from  the  opposite  banks.  At 
this  time  the  river  was  only  of  moderate  height, 
but,  as  will  be  readily  seen,  the  supply  of  a bri- 
gade at  mid-winter  by  such  an  uncertain  stream, 
and  in  the  presence  of  a powerful  enemy,  was  a 
thing  of  great  difficulty. 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


138 

However  the  obstacles  did  not  intimidate  Gar- 
field.  Gathering  ten  days’  rations,  he  charters 
two  small  steamers  and  impresses  all  the  flat-boats 
he  can  lay  hand  on,  and  then  taking  his  army 
wagons  apart,  he  loads  them  with  his  forage  and 
provisions  upon  the  flat-boats.  This  is  on  New 
Year’s  Day,  1862.  Next  morning  Captain  Bent, 
of  the  Fourteenth  Kentucky,  entering  Garfield’s 
tent,  says  to  him: 

“Colonel,  there’s  a man  outside  who  says  he 
knows  you,  Bradley  Brown,  a rebel  thief  and 
scoundrel.” 

“Brown,”  says  Garfield,  raising  half-dressed 
from  his  blanket.  “Bradley  Brown!  I don’t  know 
any  one  of  that  name.” 

“He  has  lived  near  the  head  of  the  Blaine,  been 
a boatman  on  the  river,  says  he  knew  you  on  the 
canal  in  Ohio.” 

“Oh,  yes,”  answered  Garfield,  “bring  him  in, 
now  I remember  him.” 

In  a moment  Brown  is  ushered  into  the  col- 
onel’s quarters.  He  is  clad  in  country  homespun, 
and  spattered  from  head  to  foot  with  the  mud  of 
a long  journey,  but,  without  any  regard  for  the 
sanctity  of  rank,  he  advances  at  once  upon  the 
Union  commander,  and  grasping  him  warmly  by 
the  hand,  exclaims,  “Jim,  ole  feller,  how  ar’  ye!” 

The  colonel  received  him  cordially,  but  noticing 
his  ruddy  face,  says : 

“ Fifteen  years  haven’t  changed  you,  Brown ; 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


139 


you  will  take  a glass  of  whisky?  But  what’s  this 
I hear?  Are  you  a rebel ?” 

“Yes,”  answers  Brown,  “I  belong  to  Marshall’s 
force,  and” — this  he  prefaces  with  a burst  of 
laughter,  “ I’ve  come  stret  from  his  camp  to  spy 
out  yer  army.” 

The  colonel  looks  surprised,  but  says,  coolly: 

“Well,  you  go  about  it  queerly.” 

"Yes,  quar,  but  honest,  Jim — when  yer  alone, 
I’ll  tell  yer  about  it.” 

As  Bent  was  leaving  the  tent  he  said  to  his 
commander,  in  an  undertone: 

“ Don’t  trust  him,  colonel ; I know  him,  he’s  a 
thief  and  a rebel.” 

Brown’s  disclosures,  in  a few  words,  are» these: 

Hearing,  a short  time  before,  at  the  rebel  camp, 
that  James  A.  Garfield,  of  Ohio,  had  taken  com- 
mand of  the  Union  forces,  it  at  once  occurred  to 
him  that  it  was  his  old  canal  companion,  for  whom, 
as  a boy,  he  had  felt  a strong  affection.  This  sup- 
position was  confirmed  a few  days  later  by  his 
hearing  from  a renegade  Northern  man  something 
of  the  antecedents  of  the  colonel.  Remembering 
their  former  friendship,  and  being  indifferent  as  to 
which  side  was  successful  in  the  campaign,  he  at 
once  determined  to  do  an  important  service  to  the 
Union  commander. 

With  this  object  he  sought  an  interview  with 
Humphrey  Marshall,  stated  to  him  his  former  ac- 
quaintance with  Garfield,  and  proposed  that  he 


140 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


should  take  advantage  of  it  to  enter  the  Union 
camp,  and  learn  for  the  rebel  general  all  about  his 
enemy’s  strength  and  intended  movements.  Mar- 
shall at  once  fell  into  the  trap,  and  the  same  night 
Brown  set  out  for  the  Union  camp,  ostensibly  to 
spy  for  the  rebels,  but  really  to  tell  the  Union 
commander  all  that  he  knew  of  the  rebel  strength 
and  position.  He  did  not  know  Marshall’s  exact 
force,  but  he  gave  Garfield  such  facts  as  enabled 
him  to  make,  within  half  an  hour,  a tolerably  accu- 
rate map  of  the  rebel  position. 

When  this  was  done,  the  Union  colonel  said  to 
him : 

“ Did  Bent  blindfold  you  when  he  brought  you 
into  camp  ?” 

“Yes,  colonel,  I couldn’t  see  my  hand  afore  me.” 

“Well,  then,  you  had  better  go  back  directly  to 
Marshall.” 

“ Go  back  to  him  ! Why,  colonel,  he’ll  hang  me 
to  the  first  tree  !” 

“No  he  won’t — not  if  yoti  tell  him  all  about  my 
strength  and  intended  movements.” 

“ But  how  kin  I ? I don’t  know  a thing.  I tell 
ye  I was  blindfolded.” 

“ Yes,  but  that  don’t  prevent  your  guessing  at 
our  numbers,  and  about  our  movements.  You 
may  say  that  I shall  march  to-morrow  straight  for 
his  camp  and  in  ten  days  be  upon  him.” 

Brown  sat  for  a moment  musing,  then  he  said  : 

“Wall,  Colon’l  ye’d  be  a durned  fool,  and  if  ye’s 


JAMES  A.  G ARE/ ELD 


141 

thet  ye  must  hev  growed  to  it  since  we  were  on 
ther  canal — ef  ye  went  upon  Marshall,  trenched  as 
he  is,  with  a man  short  on  twenty  thousand.  I kin 
‘guess  ’ ye’s  that  many.’ 

“ Guess  again.  I haven’t  that  number.” 

“ Then,  ten  thousand.” 

“ W ell,  that  will  do  for  a Kentuckian.  Now,  to- 
day, I will  keep  you  under  lock  and  key,  and  to- 
night you  can  go  back  to  Marshall.” 

At  nightfall,  Brown  set  out  for  the  rebel  camp, 
and,  on  the  following  day,  Garfield  put  his  little 
army,  reduced  now  by  sickness  and  garrison-duty, 
to  fourteen  hundred,  in  motion. 

It  was  a toilsome  march.  The  roads  were  knee- 
deep  in  mire,  and  encumbered  as  it  was  with  only 
a light  train,  the  army  made  very  slow  progress. 
Some  days  it  marched  five  or  six  miles,  and  some 
considerably  less,  but  on  January  6th,  it  arrived 
within  seven  miles  of  Paintville.  Here  the  men 
threw  themselves  upon  the  wet  ground,  and  Gar- 
field laid  down  in  his  boots,  in  a wretched  log  hut 
to  catch  a few  hours  of  slumber. 

About  midnight,  he  was  roused  from  his  sleep 
by  a man  who  said  his  business  was  urgent.  The 
colonel  rubbed  his  eyes,  and  raised  himself  on 
his  elbow'. 

“Back  safe?”  he  asked.  “Have  you  seen 
Cranor  ?” 

“ Yes,  colonel ; he  can’t  be  any  more  than  two 
days  behind  me.” 

9 


142 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


“ God  bless  you,  Jordan  ! You  have  done  us  a 
great  service,”  said  Garfield,  warmly. 

“ I thank  you,  colonel,”  answered  Jordan,  his  face 
trembling,  “that  is  more  pay  than  I expected.” 

He  had  returned  safely,  but  the  Providence 
which  so  wonderfully  guarded  his  way  out,  seemed 
to  leave  him  to  find  his  way  back,  for,  as  he  ex- 
pressed it,  “ The  Lord  cared  more  for  the  dispatch 
than  He  cared  for  me,  and  it  was  natural  He 
should,  because  my  life  counts  only  one,  but  the 
dispatch,  it  stood  for  the  whole  of  Kentucky.” 

Next  morning,  another  horseman  rode  up  to  the 
Union  head-quarters.  He  was  a messenger  direct 
from  General  Buell,  who  had  followed  Garfield  up 
the  Big  Sandy  with  dispatches.  They  contained 
only  a few  hurried  sentences,  from  a man  to  a 
woman,  but  their  value  was  not  to  be  estimated  in 
money.  It  was  a letter  from  Humphrey  Marshall  to 
his  wife,  which  Buell  had  intercepted,  and  it  revealed 
the  important  fact  that  the  rebel  general  had  five 
thousand  men — four  thousand  four  hundred  in- 
fantry and  six  hundred  cavalry — with  twelve  pieces 
of  artillery,  and  was  daily  expecting  an  attack  from 
a Union  force  of  ten  thousand! 

Garfield  put  the  letter  in  his  pocket,  and  then 
jcalled  a council  of  his  officers.  They  assembled 
in  the  rude  log  shanty,  and  the  question  was  put 
to  them : 

“ Shall  we  march  at  once,  or  wait  the  coming  of 
Cranor  ?”" 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


145 


All  but  one  said  “ Wait !”  He  said,  “ Move  at 
once,  our  fourteen  hundred  can  whip  ten  thou- 
sand rebels.” 

Garfield  reflected  awhile,  then  closed  the  coun- 
cil with  the  laconic  remark:  “Well,  forward  it  is. 
Give  the  order.” 

Three  roads  led  to  the  rebel  position — one  at 
the  east,  bearing  down  to  the  river  and  along  its 
western  bank;  another,  a circuitous  one,  to  the 
west,  coming  in  on  Paint  Creek  at  the  mouth  of 
Jenny’s  Creek,  on  the  right  of  the  village;  and  a 
third  between  the  two  others,  a more  direct  route 
but  climbing  a succession  of  almost  impassible 
ridges.  These  three  roads  were  held  by  strong 
rebel  pickets,  and  a regiment  was  outlying  at  the 
Village  of  Paintville. 

The  diagram  opposite  will  show  the  situation. 

To  deceive  Marshall  as  to  his  real  strength  and 

o 

designs,  Garfield  orders  a small  force  of  infantry 
and  cavalry  to  advance  along  the  river  road,  drive 
in  the  rebel  pickets,  and  move  rapidly  after  them 
as  if  to  attack  Paintville.  Two  hours  after  this 
small  force  goes  off,  a similar  one,  with  the  same 
orders  sets  off  on  the  road  to  the  westward,,  and 
two  hours  later  still  another  small  party  takes  the 
middle  road.  The  effect  is  that  the  pickets  on  the 
first  route  being  vigorously  attacked  and  driven, 
retired  in  confusion  to  Paintville,  and  dispatched 
word  to  Marshall  that  the  Union  army  is  advanc- 
ing along  the  river.  He  hurries  off  a thousand 


146 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


infantry  and  a battery  to  resist  the  advance  oi 
this  imaginary  column. 

When  this  detachment  had  been  gone  an 
hour  and  a half,  Marshall  hears  from  the  routed 
pickets  on  his  left  that  the  Union  forces  are  ad- 
vancing along;  the  western  road.  Countermand- 
mg'  his  first  order,  he  now  directs  the  thousand 
men  and  the  battery  to  check  the  new  danger,  and 
hurries  off  the  troops  at  Paintville  to  the  mouth  of 
Jenny’s  Creek,  to  make  a stand  at  that  point.  Two 
hours  later  the  pickets  on  the  central  route  are 
driven  in,  and  finding  Paintville  abandoned,  they 
flee  precipitately  to  the  fortified  camp  with  the 
story  that  the  whole  Union  army  is  close  at  their 
heels,  and  already  occupying  the  town.  Conceiving 
that  he  has  thus  lost  Pafntville,  Marshall  hastily 
withdraws  the  detachment  of  a thousand  to  his 
camp,  and  then,  Garfield  moving  rapidly  over  the 
ridges  of  the  central  route,  occupies  the  abandoned 
position. 

So  affairs  stand  on  the  evening  of  the  8th  of 
January,  when  a rebel  spy  enters  the  camp  of 
Marshall  with  tidings  that  Cranor,  with  three  thou- 
sand three  hundred  men,  is  within  twelve  hours’ 
march  at  the  westward. 

On  receipt  of  these  tidings,  the  rebel  general 
conceiving  himself  vastly  outnumbered,  breaks  up 
his  camp — which  he  might  have  held  for  a twelve- 
month — and  retreats  precipitately,  abandoning  or 
burning  a large  portion  of  his  supplies.  Seeing 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


X47 


the  fires,  Garfield  mounts  his  horse,  and  with  a 
thousand  men  enters  the  deserted  camp  at  nine  in 
the  evening,  while  the  blazing  stores  are  yet  un- 
consumed. He  sends  off  a detachment  to  harass 
the  rebel  retreat,  and  waits  the  arrival  of  Cranor, 
with  whom  he  means  to  follow  and  bring  Marshall 
to  battle  in  the  morninm 

o 

In  the  morning  Cranor  comes,  but  his  men  are 
footsore,  without  rations  and  completely  ex- 
hausted. The  most  of  these  cannot  move  one 
leof  after  the  other.  But  the  Union  commander  is 
determined  on  a battle,  so  every  man  who  has 
strength  to  march  is  ordered  to  come  forward. 
Eleven  hundred,  and  among  them  four  hundred  of 
Cranor’s  tired  heroes,  step  from  the  ranks,  and 
with  them,  at  noon  on  the  9th,  Garfield  sets  out 
for  Prestonburg,  sending  all  his  available  cavalry 
to  follow  the  line  of  the  enemy’s  retreat,  and  har- 
ass and  destroy  him. 

Marching  eighteen  miles  he  reaches,  at  nine 
o’clock  that  night,  the  mouth  of  Abbott’s  Creek, 
three  miles  belowPrestonburg — he  and  the  eleven 
hundred.  There  he  learns  that  Marshall  is  en- 
camped on  the  same  stream,  three  miles  higher 
up;  and,  throwing  his  men  into  bivouac  in  the 
midst  of  a sleety  rain,  he  sends  back  an  order  to 
Lieutenant-Colonel  Sheldon,  who  had  been  left  in 
command  at  Paintville,  to  bring  up  every  available 
man  with  all  possible  dispatch,  for  he  shall  force 
the  enemy  to  battle  in  the  morning.  He  spends 


148 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


the  night  in  learning  the  character  of  the  sur- 
rounding country,  and  the  disposition  of  Mar- 
shall’s forces,  and  makes  a hasty  dinner  off  of 
stewed  rabbit  eaten  out  of  a tin-cup — he  sharing 
the  single  spoon  and  the  stew  with  one  of  his 
officers. 

Jordan,  the  scout,  now  comes  into  play  once 
more.  A dozen  rebels  are  grinding  at  a mill,  and  a 
dozen  honest  men  come  upon  them,  steal  their  corn 
and  take  them  prisoners.  The  miller  is  a tall, 
gaunt  man,  and  his  “butternuts”  fit  Jordan  as  if 
they  were  made  for  him.  He  is  a rebel  too,  and 
his  very  raiment  should  bear  witness  against  this 
feeding  of  his  enemies.  It  does.  It  goes  back  to 
the  rebel  camp,  and  Jordan  goes  in  it.  That 
chameleon  face  of  his  is  smeared  with  meal,  and 
looks  the  miller  so  well  that  the  miller’s  own  wife 
might  not  detect  the  difference.  The  night  is 
pitch  dark  and  rainy,  and  that  lessens  the  danger; 
but  still  Jordan  is  picking  his  teeth  in  the  very 
jaws  of  the  lion. 

Jordan’s  midnight  ramble  in  the  rebel  ranks 
gave  Garfield  the  exact  position  of  the  enemy. 
They  had  made  a stand,  and  laid  an  ambuscade  for 
him.  Strongly  posted,  on  a semi-circular  hill  at 
the  forks  of  Middle  Creek,  on  both  sides  of  the 
road,  with  cannon  commanding  its  whole  length, 
and  hidden  by  the  trees  and  underbrush,  they 
awaited  his  coming. 

Deeming  it  unsafe  to  proceed  furthei  in  the 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


I49 


darkness,  Garfield,  as  has  been  said,  ordered  his 
army  into  bivouac,  at  nine  o’clock  in  the  evening, 
and  climbed  the  steep  ridge  called  Abbott’s  Hill. 
His  tired  men  threw  themselves  upon  the  wet 
o-round  to  wait  till  morninm  It  was  a terrible 

£>  o , 

night,  fit  prelude  to  the  terrible  day  that  followed.' 
A dense  fog  shut  out  the  moon  and  stars,  and 
shrouded  the  lonely  mountain  in  almost  Cimmerian 
darkness.  A cold  wind  swept  from  the  north, 
driving  the  rain  in  blinding  o-usts  into  the  faces  of 
the  shivering  men,  and  stirring  the  dark  fires  into 
the  cadences  of  a mournful  music.  But  the  slow 
and  cheerless  night  at  last  wore  away,  and  at  four 
in  the  morning  the  tired  and  hungry  men,  their 
icy  clothing  clinging  to  their  half-frozen  limbs, 
were  roused  from  their  cold  beds  and  ordered 
to  move  forward.  Slowly  and  cautiously  they 
descended  into  the  valley,  that  to  so  many  of 
them  seemed  the  Valley  of  the  Shadow  of  Death. 
The  enemy  was  waiting  them,  they  were  wait- 
ing him.  The  last  bivouac  had  been  held,  and 
there  was  nothings  left  but  to  advance  and  meas- 

o 

ure  their  lives  arainst  the  foe. 

o 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


150 


CHAPTER  XII. 


HAIL  COLUMBIA’S  SOLDIER  AT  THE  BATTLE  OF  MIDDLE  CREEK. 


S the  day  breaks  in  the  east,  and  the  gray 


mists  that  have  been  the  blankets  for 


Garfield’s  little  force  slowly  draw  up  from 


the  inhospitable  ground,  the  advance  guard,  round- 
ing a hill  that  juts  out  into  the  valley,  is  charged 
upon  by  a body  of  rebel  horsemen.  Forming  his 
men  in  a hollow  square,  Garfield  gives  the  rebels 
a volley  that  sends  them  reeling  up  the  valley,  all 
but  one,  and  he  with  his  horse  plunges  into  the 
stream,  and  is  captured. 

The  main  body  of  the  enemy,  it  is  now  evident, 
is  not  far  distant,  but  whether  he  has  changed  his 
position  since  the  visit  of  the  scout  Jordan  is  yet 
uncertain.  To  determine  this,  Garfield  sends  for- 
ward a strong  corps  of  skirmishers,  who  sweep  the 
cavalry  from  a ridge  they  have  occupied,  and 
moving  forward,  soon  draw  the  fire  of  the  hidden 
rebels.  Suddenly  a puff  of  smoke  rises  from  be- 
yond the  hill,  and  a twelve-pound  shell  whistles 
above  the  trees,  then,  plowing  up  the  hill,  buries 
itself  in  the  ground  at  the  feet  of  the  adventurous 
little  band  of  skirmishers. 

It  is  now  twelve  o’clock,  and  throwing  his  whole 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


151 

force  upon  the  ridge  whence  the  rebel  cavalry 
have  been  driven,  Garfield  prepares  for  the  im- 
pending battle.  It  is  a trying  and  perilous  mo- 
ment. He  is  in  the  presence  of  a greatly  superior 
enemy,  and  how  to  dispose  his  little  force,  and 
where  first  to  attack,  are  things  not  easy  to  deter- 
mine. But  he  loses  no  time  in  idle  indecision. 

Looking  in  the  faces  of  his  eleven  hundred  men, 
he  goes  at  once  into  the  terrible  struggle.  His 
mounted  escort  of  twelve  soldiers  he  sends  for- 
ward to  make  a charge,  and,  if  possible,  to  draw 
the  fire  of  the  enemy.  The  ruse  succeeds  admir- 
ably. As  the  little  squad  sweeps  round  a curve  in 
the  road,  another  shell  whistles  through  the  valley, 
and  the  long  roll  of  nearly  five  thousand  muskets 
chimes  in  with  a fierce  salutation.  The  battle  has 
begum  in  earnest. 

A glance  at  the  ground  will  best  show  the  real 
nature  of  the  conflict.  It  was  on  die  margin  of 
Middle  Creek,  a narrow  and  rapid  stream,  and 
three  miles  from  where  it  finds  its  way  into  the 
Big  Sandy,  through  the  sharp  spurs  of  the  Cumber- 
land Mountains.  A rocky  road,  not  ten  feet  in 
width,  winds  along  this  stream,  and  on  its  two 
banks  abrupt  ridges,  with  steep  and  rocky  sides, 
overgrown  with  trees  and  underbrush,  shut  closely 
down  upon  the  narrow  road  and  little  streamlet. 
At  twelve  o’clock  Garfield  has  gained  the  crest  of 
the  ridge  at  the  right  of  the  road,  and  the  charge 
of  his  handful  of  horsemen  has  drawn  Marshall’s 


152 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


fire  and  disclosed  his  actual  position.  It  will  be 
clearly  seen  from  the  subjoined  diagram. 

The  main  force  of  the  rebels  occupied  the  crests 
of  the  two  ridges  at  the  left  of  the  stream,  but  a 
strong  detachment  was  posted  on  the  right,  and  a 
battery  of  twelve  pieces  held  the  forks  of  the 
creek  and  commanded  the  approach  of  the  Union 
army.  It  was  Marshall’s  plan  to  lure  Garfield 
along  the  road,  and  then  taking  him  between  two 
enfilading  fires,  surround  and  utterly  destroy  him. 
But  his  hasty  fire  betrayed  his  design  and  un- 
masked his  position. 

Garfield  acts  with  promptness  and  decision.  A 
hundred  undergraduates,  recruited  from  his  own 
college,  are  ordered  to  cross  the  stream,  climb  the 
ridge  whence  the  fire  had  been  hottest,  and  bring 
on  the  battle.  Boldly  the  little  band  plunges  into 
the  creek,  the  icy  water  up  to  their  waists,  and 
clinging  to  the  trees  and  underbrush,  climb  the 
rocky  ascent.  Half  way  up  the  ridge  the  fire  of 
at  least  two  thousand  rifles  open  upon  them,  but 
springing  from  tree  to  tree,  they  press  on,  and  at 
last  reach  the  summit.  Then  suddenly  the  hill  is 
gray  with  rebels,  who,  rising  from  ambush,  pour 
their  deadly  volleys  into  the  little  band  of  only  a 
hundred.  For  a moment  there  are  signs  of  wav- 
ering, then  their  leader  calls  out:  “ Every  man  to 
a tree ! Give  them  as  good  as  they  send,  my 
brave  Bereans !” 

The  rebels,  behind  rocks  and  rude  intrench- 


JAMES  A.  GAR  I XELD. 


155 


ments,  are  obliged  to  expose  their  heads  to  take 
aim  at  the  advancing  column,  but  the  Union  troops, 
posted  behind  the  huge  oaks  and  maples,  can  stand 
erect  and  load  and  fire  fully  protected.  Though 
they  are  outnumbered  ten  to  one,  the  contest  is 
therefore  for  a time  not  so  very  unequal.  But  soon 
the  rebels,  exasperated  with  the  obstinate  resist- 
ance, rush  from  cover  and  charge  upon  the  little 
handful  with  the  bayonet.  Slowly  they  are  driven 
down  the  hilk  and  two  of  them  fall  to  the  ground 
wounded.  One  never  rises,  the  other,  a lad  of 
only  eighteen,  is  shot  through  the  thigh,  and  one 
of  his  comrades  turns  back  to  bear  him  to  a place 
of  safety.  The  advancing  rebels  are  within  thirty 
feet,  when  one  of  them  fires,  and  his  bullet  strikes 
a tree  directly  above  the  head  of  the  Union  sol- 
dier. He  turns,  levels  his  musket,  and  the  rebel 
is  in  eternity.  Then  the  rest  are  upon  him  ; but, 
zigzagging  from  tree  to  tree,  he  is  soon  with  his 
driven  column.  But  not  far  are  the  brave  boys 
driven.  A few  rods  lower  down  they  hear  the  voice 
of  their  leader. 

“To  the  trees  again,  my  boys,”  he  cries.  “We 
may  as  well  die  here  as  in  Ohio !” 

To  the  trees  they  go,  and  in  a moment  the  ad- 
vancing horde  is  checked,  and  then  rolled  back- 
ward. Up  the  hill  they  turn,  firing  as  they  go,  and 
the  little  band  follows.  Soon  the  rebels  reach  the 
spot  where  the  Berean  boy  lies  wounded,  and  one 
of  them  says  to  him : 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


156 

“ Boy,  guv  me  yer  musket.” 

“ Not  the  gun  but  its  contents,”  returns  the  lad, 
and  the  rebel  falls,  mortally  wounded.  Another 
raises  his  weapon  to  brain  the  prostrate  lad,  but 
he  too  falls,  killed  with  his  comrade’s  own  rifle. 
And  all  this  is  done  while  the  hero-lad  is  on  the 
ground  bleeding.  An  hour  afterward,  his  com- 
rades bear  him  to  a sheltered  spot  on  the  other 
side  of  the  streamlet,  and  then  the  first  word  of  com- 
plaint escapes  him.  As  they  are  taking  off  his  leg, 
he  says,  in  his  agony : “ Oh,  what  will  mother  do  ?” 

A fortnight  later,  the  words  of  this  patient,  patri- 
otic lad — Charles  Carlton,  of  Franklin,  Ohio — re- 
peated in  the  Senate  of  Ohio,  aroused  the  State  to 
at  once  make  provision  for  the  widows  and  mothers 
of  its  soldiers. 

As  the  college  boys  retreat,  the  quick  eye  of 
the  Union  commander,  standing  upon  a rocky 
height  on  the  other  side  of  the  narrow  valley,  dis- 
cerns, through  the  densely-curling  smoke,  the  real 
state  of  the  unequal  contest.  “They  are  being 
driven,”  he  says;  “ they  will'  lose  the  hill  unless 
supported.” 

Immediately,  five  hundred  of  the  Ohio  Fortieth 
and  Forty-second,  under  Major  Pardee  and  Colo- 
nel Cranor,  are  ordered  to  the  rescue.  Holding 
their  cartridge-boxes  above  their  heads,  they  dash 
into  the  stream,  up  the  hill  and  into  the  fight 
shouting : 

“ Hurra  for  Williams  and  the  brave  Bereans  1” 


JAMES  A GARFIELD. 


157 


But  shot,  and  shell,  and  canister,  and  the  fire  01 
four  thousand  muskets,  are  now  concentrated 
upon  the  few  hundred  heroes. 

“ This  will  never  do,”  cries  Garfield.  “ Who 
will  volunteer  to  carry  the  crest  of  the  moun- 
tain?” 

“We  will!”  shouts  Colonel  Munroe,  of  the 
Twenty-second  Kentucky.  “We  know  every  inch 
of  the  ground.” 

“ Go  in,  then,”  cries  Garfield,  “ and  give  them 
Hail  Columbia!” 

Fording  the  stream  lower  down,  they  climbed 
the  ridge  to  the  left,  and  in  ten  minutes  are  upon 
the  enemy.  Like  the  others,  these  rebels  are 
posted  behind  rocks,  and,  when  uncovered,  heads 
soon  become  ghastly  targets  for  the  sure  Ken- 
tucky rifles. 

“Take  good  aim,  and  don’t  shoot  till  you  see 
the  eyes  of  your  enemy,”  shouts  the  brave  col- 
onel. 

The  men  have  never  been  under  fire,  but  in  a 
few  moments  are  as  cool  as  if  at  one  of  the  tradi- 
tional Kentucky  turkey  matches. 

“Do  you  see  that  reb,”  says  one  to  a comrade, 
as  a head  appears  above  the  rock.  “ Hit  him  while 
I’m  loading.” 

Another  is  bringing  his  cartridge  to  his  mouth 
when  a bullet  cuts  away  the  powder  and  leaves 
the  lead  in  his  fingers.  Shielding  his  arm  with  his 
body,  he  says,  as  he  turns  from  the  foe  and  rams 


^58 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


home  another  cartridge:  “There,  see  if  you  can 
hit  that?” 

Another  takes  out  a piece  of  hard-tack  and  a 
ball  shivers  it  in  his  hand.  He  swallows  the  rem- 
nant, and  then  coolly  fires  away  again.  One  is 
brought  down  by  a ball  in  the  knee ; and,  lying  on 
the  ground,  rifle  in  hand,  watches  for  the  man  who 
shot  him.  Soon  the  rebel’s  head  rises  above  a 
rock,  and  the  two  fire  at  the  same  instant.  The 
Union  man  is  struck  in  the  mouth,  but  as  he  is 
borne  down  the  hill  he  splutters  out:  “ Never 
mind,  that  secesh  is  done  for.”  The  next  morn- 
ing the  rebel  is  found  with  the  whole  upper  part 
of  his  head  shot  away  by  the  other’s  bullet 

The  brave  Kentuckians  climb  or  leap  up  along 
the  side  of  the  mountain.  Now  they  are  hidden 
in  the  underbrush,  now  sheltered  by  the  great 
trees,  and  now  fully  exposed  in  some  narrow 
opening,  but  gradually  they  near  the  crest  of  the 
ridge,  and  at  last  are  on  its  very  summit.  As 
they  come  in  open  sight  a rebel  cries  out: 

“ How  many  are  there  of  you  ?” 

“ Twenty-five  millions,  d ith  you,”  shouts 

back  a Kentucky  Union  officer. 

Then  comes  a terrible  hand-to-hand  Struggle, 
and  the  little  band  of  less  than  four  hundred,  over- 
powered by  numbers,  are  driven  far  down  the 
mountain. 

Meanwhile  another  cannon  has  opened  on  the 
hill  and  round  shot  and  canister  fall  thickly  among 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


159 


the  weary  eleven  hundred.  Seeing  his  advance 
about  to  waver  the  Union  commander  sends 
volley  after  volley  from  his  entire  reserve  at  the 
central  point  between  his  two  detachments,  and 
for  a time  the  enemy  is  silenced  in  that  quarter. 
But  soon  it  opens  again,  and  then  Garfield  orders 
all  but  a chosen  hundred  upon  the  mountain. 
There  the  battle  grows  terrible.  Thick  and  thicker 
swarm  the  rebels  on  the  crest,  sharp  and  sharper 
rolls  the  musketry  along  the  valley,  and  as  volley 
after  volley  echoes  among  the  hills  and  the  white 
smoke  curls  up  in  long  wreaths  from  the  gleaming 
rifles  a dense  cloud  gathers  overhead  as  if  to  shut 
out  the  scene  of  carnage  from  the  very  eye  of 
Heaven. 

So  the  bloody  work  goes  on,  so  the  battle 
wavers  till  the  setting  sun  wheeling"  below  the  hills 
glances  along  the  dense  line  of  rebel  steel  move- 
ing  down  to  envelop  the  weary  eleven  hundred. 
It  is  an  awful  moment,  big  with  the  immediate 
fate  of  Kentucky.  At  its  very  crisis  two  figures 
stand  out  against  the  fading  sky,  boldly  defined 
in  the  foreground. 

One  is  in  Union  blue  with  a little  band  of 
heroes  about  him.  He  is  posted  on  a projecting 
rock  which  is  scarred  with  bullets  and  in  full  view 
of  both  armies.  His  head  is  uncovered,  his  hair 
streaming  in  the  wind,  his  face  upturned  in  the 
darkening  daylight  and  from  his  soul  is  going  up 
a prayer — a prayer  for  Sheldon  and  reinforce- 


j5d  life  and  public  career  of 

merits.  He  turns  his  eyes  to  the  northward,  lus- 
lips  tighten,  he  pulls  off  his  coat  and  throws  it  into 
the  air  and  it  lodges  in  a tree  top  out  of  reach, 
then  he  says  to  his  hundred  men: 

“Boys,  we  must  go  at  them.” 

The  men  threw  up  their  caps  with  a wild  shout 
and  rush  in,  following  the  Union  colonel  who  led 
them  at  a run,  and  in  his  shirt  sleeves. 

The  other  figure  is  in  Rebel  gray.  Moving 
out  to  the  brow  of  the  opposite  hill  and  placing  a 
glass  to  his  eye,  he  too  takes  a long  look  to  the 
northward.  Suddenly  he  starts,  for  he  sees  some- 
thing which  the  other  on  lower  ground  does  not 
distinguish.  Soon  he  wheels  his  horse  and  the 
word  “Retreat”  echoes  along  the  valley  between 
them.  It  is  his  last  word;  for  six  rifles  crack, 
and  the  rebel  major  lies  on  the  ground  quivering. 
The  one  in  blue  looks  to  the  north  again  as  he 
clambers  up  the  mountain  and  now  floating  proudly 
among  the  trees  he  sees  the  starry  banner,  that  ban- 
ner that  has  meant  liberty  and  life  to  millions.  It  is 
Sheldon  and  his  forces.  On  they  come  like  the 
rushing  wind  filling  the  air  with  their  shouting. 
The  rescued  eleven  hundred  take  up  the  strain 
and  then  above  the  swift  pursuit,  above  the  lessen- 
ing conflict,  above  the  last  boom  of  wheeling 
cannon  goes  the  wild  huzza  of  victory. 

As  they  come  back  from  the  short  pursuit,  the 
young  commander  grasps  man  after  man  by  the 
hand,  and  says: 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD . j gj 

“God  bless  you,  boys!  You  have  saved  Ken- 
tucky !” 

They  had,  indeed,  and  in  a wonderful  battle. 
Says  that  genial  writer,  Edmund  Kirke : “ In  the 
history  of  the  late  war,  there  is  not  another  like  it. 
Measured  by  the  forces  engaged,  the  valor  dis- 
played and  the  results  that  followed,  it  throws  into 
the  shade  the  achievements  of  even  that  mighty 
host  that  saved  the  nation.  Eleven  hundred  foot- 
sore and  weary  men,  without  cannon,  charged  up 
a rocky  hill,  over  stumps,  over  stones,  over  fallen 
trees,  over  high  intrenchments,  right  into  the  face 
of  five  thousand  fresh  troops  with  twelve  pieces 
of  artillery!” 

To  the  reader,  the  action  may  seem  insignificant, 
but  it  was  of  considerable  importance  to  the  Fed- 
eral armies  at  this  juncture.  Captain  F.  H.  Mason, 
in  his  history  of  the  Forty-second  Ohio  Infantry, 
defines  its  place  in  history  : 

“The  battle  of  Middle  Creek,  trifling  though 
it  may  be  considered  in  comparison  with  later  con- 
tests, was  the  first  substantial  victor}''  won  for  the 
Union  cause.  At  Big  Bethel,  Bull  Run,  in  Mis- 
souri, and  at  various  points  at  which  the  Union 
and  Confederate  forces  had  come  in  contact,  the 
latter  had  been  uniformly  victorious.  The  people 
of  the  North,  giving  freely  of  their  men  and  their 
substance  in  response  to  each  successive  call  of 
the  government,  had  long  and  anxiously  watched 
and  waited  for  a little  gleam  of  victor}'  to  show 
io 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


164 

that  northern  valor  was  a match  for  southern  im- 
petuosity in  the  held.  They  had  waited  in  vain 
since  the  disaster  at  Bull  Run,  during  the  previous 
summer,  and  hope  had  almost  yielded  to  despair. 
The  story  of  Garheld’s  success  at  Middle  Creek 
came,  therefore,  like  a benediction  to  the  Union 

1 

cause.  Though  won  at  a trifling  cost  it  was  deci- 
sive  so  far  as  concerned  the  purposes  of  that  im- 
mediate campaign.  Marshall’s  force  was  driven 
from  Kentucky,  and  made  no  further  attempt  to 
occupy  the  Sandy  Valley.  The  important  vic- 
tories at  Mill  Spring,  Forts  Donaldson  and  Henry, 
and  the  repulse  at  Shiloh,  followed.  The  victory 
at  Mill  Creek  proved  the  hrst  wave  of  a returning 
tide.” 

Speaking  of  the  engagement,  Garfield  said,  after 
he  had  gained  a wider  experience  in  war : “It  vas  a 
very  rash  and  imprudent  affair  on  my  part.  If  I 
had  been  an  officer  of  more  experience,  I probably 
should  not  have  made  the  attack.  As  it  was,  hav- 
ing gone  into  the  army  with  the  notion  that  fight- 
ing was  our  business.  I didn’t  know  any  better.” 

“And,  during  it  all,”  says  Judge  Clark,  who  was 
in  the  Forty-second,  “Garfield  was  the  soldiers' 
friend.  Such  was  his  affection  for  the  men  that 
he  would  divide  his  last  rations  with  them,  and 
nobody  ever  found  anything  better  at  head-quar- 
ters than  the  rest  got.” 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD . 


-I67 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

A STEAMBOAT  CAPTAIN  AND  THE  CAPTURE  OF  POUND  GAP. 

^ ¥ "M'lE  night  closed  in  upon  the  happy,  bui 
tired  men ; another  night,  the  long  watches 
of  which  were  lived  out  upon  the  frozen 
ground.  Garfield  took  the  time  to  consider  the 
situation.  Marshall’s  forces  were  broken  and  de- 
moralized. Though  in  full  retreat,  they  might  be 
overtaken  and  destroyed ; but  his  own  troops 
were  half  dead  with  fatigue  and  exposure,  and  had 
less  than  three  days’  rations.  In  these  circum- 
stances, Garfield  prudently  decided  to  occupy 
Prestonburg,  and  await  the  arrival  of  supplies  be- 
fore dealing  a final  blow  at  the  enemy.  On  the 
day  succeeding  the  battle  he  issued  the  following 
address  to  his  army,  which  tells,  in  brief,  the  story 
^of  the  campaign: 

“ Soldiers  of  the  Eighteenth  Brigade  : I am 

1 

proud  of  you  all!  In  four  weeks  you  have 
marched,  some  eighty,  and  some  a hundred  miles, 
over  almost  impassable  roads.  One  nirdtt  in  four 
you  have  slept,  often  in  the  storm,  with  only  a 
wintry  sky  above  your  heads.  You  have  marched 
in  the  face  of  a foe  of  more  tnan  double  your  num- 
ber, led  on  by  chiefs  who  have  won  a national  re* 


1 68 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


nown  under  the  old  flag,  entrenched  in  hills  of  his 
own  choosing,  and  strengthened  by  all  the  appli- 
ances of  military  art.  With  no  experience  but  the 
consciousness  of  your  own  manhood,  you  have 
driven  him  from  his  strongholds,  pursued  his  in- 
glorious flight,  and  compelled  him  to  meet  you  in 
battle.  When  forced  to  fight,  he  sought  the  shel- 
ter  of  rocks  and  hills.  You  drove  him  from  his 
position,  leaving  scores  of  his  bloody  dead  un- 
buried. His  artillery  thundered  against  you,  but 
you  compelled  him  to  flee  by  the  light  of  his  burn- 
ing stores,  and  to  leave  even  the  banner  of  his 
rebellion  behind  him.  I greet  you  as  brave  men. 
Our  common  country  will  not  forget  you.  She 
will  not  forget  the  sacred  dead  who  fell  beside 
you,  nor  those  of  your  comrades  who  won  scars 
of  honor  on  the  field.  I have  recalled  you  from 
the  pursuit,  that  you  may  regain  vigor  for  still 
greater  exertions.  Let  no  one  tarnish  his  well- 

u 

earned  honor  by  any  act  unworthy  an  American 
soldier.  Remember  your  duties  as  American  citi- 
zens, and  sacredly  respect  the  rights  and  property 
of  those  with  whom  you  may  come  in  contact. 
Let  it  not  be  said  that  good  men  dread  the  ap- 
proach of  an  American  army.  Officers  and  sol- 
diers, your  duty  has  been  nobly  done.  For  this  I 
thank  you.” 

The  retreat  of  Marshall  had  by  no  means  gotten 
rid  of  the  dangers  by  which  the  small  army  of  the 
Union  colonel  was  hampered.  A fresh  peril  now 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


I69 

beset  the  force.  An  unusually  violent  rain-storm 
broke  out,  the  mountain  gorges  were  all  flooded, 
and  the  Sandy  rose  to  such  a height  that  steam- 
boat-men pronounced  it  impossible  to  ascend  the 
stream  with  supplies.  The  troops  were  almost 
out  of  rations,  and  the  rough,  mountainous  coun- 
try was  incapable  of  supporting  them.  Colonel 
Garfield  had  gone  down  the  river  to  its  mouth. 
He  ordered  the  “Sandy  Valley,’  a small  steamer, 
which  had  been  in  the  quarter-master’s  service,  to 
take  in  a load  of  supplies  and  start  up.  The  cap- 
tain declared  it  was  impossible.  Efforts  were 
made  to  get  other  vessels,  but  without  success. 

Finally,  Garfield  ordered  the  captain  and  crew 
on  board,  and  stationed  himself  at  the  wheel.  The 
captain  still  protested  that  no  boat  could  possibly 
stem  the  raging  current,  but  Garfield  turned  her 
head  up  the  stream  and  began  the  perilous  trip. 
The  water  in  the  usually  shallow  river  was  sixty 
feet  deep,  and  the  tree-tops  along  the  banks  were 
almost  submerged. ' The  little  vessel  trembled 
from  stem  to  stern  at  every  motion  of  the  engines, 
the  water  whirled  her  about  as  if  she  were  a skiff, 
and  the  utmost  speed  the  steam  could  give  her 
was  three  miles  an  hour.  When  nigdit  fell  the 
captain  of  the  boat  begged  permission  to  tie  up. 
To  attempt  ascending  the  flood  in  the  darkness 
was  madness.  But  Garfield  kept  his  place  at  the 
wheel,  now  as  always  no  mere  considerations  of 
danger  affected  his  purpose.  Finally,  in  one  of 


170 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


the  sudden  bends  of  the  river  they  drove,  with  a 
full  head  of  steam,  into  the  quicksand  of  the  bank. 
Every  effort  to  back  off  was  in  vain.  Mattocks 
were  procured,  and  excavations  made  around  the 
embedded  bow.  Still  she  stuck.  Garfield,  at 
last,  ordered  a boat  to  be  lowered  to  take  a line 
across  to  the  opposite  bank.  The  crew  protested 
against  venturing  out  on  the  flood.  Garfield 
leaped  into  the  ooat  and  steered  it  over.  The 
force  of  the  current  carried  them  far  below  the 
point  they  sought  to  reach,  but  they  finally  suc- 
ceeded in  making  fast  to  a tree,  and  rigging  a 
windlass  with  rails  sufficiently  powerful  to  draw 
the  vessel  off  and  get  her  once  more  afloat. 

It  was  on  Saturday  that  the  boat  left  the  mouth 
of  the  Sandy.  All  night,  all  day  Sunday,  and  all 
through  Sunday  night  they  kept  up  their  struggle 
with  the  current,  Garfield  leaving  the  wheel  only 
eight  hours  out  of  the  whole  time,  and  that  during 
the  day.  By  nine  o’clock  on  Monday  morning 
they  reached  the  camp,  and  were  received  with  tu- 
multuous cheering.  Garfield  himself  could  hardly 
escape  being  borne  to  head-quarters  on  the  shoul 
ders  of  the  delighted  men. 

It  was  but  natural  that  the  confused  retreat  ol 
the  troops  under  Humphrey  Marshall  should  have 
precipitated  an  alarm  among  the  simple  country 
people.  The  flying  rebels  had  spread  the  most  ex- 
aggerated reports  of  the  strength  and  character 
of  the  Union  forces,  and  the  inhabitants  of  the 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


17 1 

district  looked  for  the  immediate  inauguration  of 
a reign  of  terror,  that  should  deprive  all  non- 
combatants  of  life  and  liberty.  Fleeing  from 
their  homes,  they  took  refuge  in  the  woods  and 
mountains,  and  the  towns  were  well-nigh  deserted 
for  a time.  On  his  return  with  the  supplies,  Garfield 
determined  to  attempt  the  quieting  of  the  fright- 
ened people,  and  to  that  end  issued  the  following : 

“ Citizens  of  Sandy  Valley  : I have  come  among  you 
to  restore  the  honor  of  the  Union,  and  to  bring  back  the  old 
banner  which  you  once  loved,  but  which,  by  the  machina- 
tions of  evil  men,  and  by  mutual  misunderstanding,  has  been 
dishonored  among  you.  To  those  who  are  in  arms  against 
the  Federal  Government  I offer  only  the  alternate  of  battle  or 
unconditional  surrender.  But  to  those  who  have  taken  no 
part  in  this  war,  who  are  in  no  way  aiding  or  abetting  the 
enemies  of  this  Union — even  to  those  who  hold  sentiments 
averse  to  the  Union,  but  will  give  no  aid  or  comfort  to  its 
enemies — I offer  the  full  protection  of  the  Government,  both 
in  their  persons  and  property. 

“ Let  those  who  have  been  seduced  away  from  the  love  of 
their  country  to  follow  after  and  aid  the  destroyers  of  cur 
peace  lay  down  their  arms,  return  to  their  homes,  bear  true 
allegiance  to  the  Federal  Government,  and  they  shall  also 
enjoy  like  protection.  The  army  of  the  Union  wages  no  war 
of  plunder,  but  comes  to  bring  back  the  prosperity  cf  peace. 
Let  all  peace-loving  citizens  who  have  fled  from  their  homes 
return  and  resume  again  the  pursuits  of  peace  and  industry. 
If  citizens  have  suffered  any  outrages  by  the  soldiers  under 
my  command,  I invite  them  to  make  known  their  complaints 
to  me,  and  their  wrongs  shall  be  redressed  and  the  offenders 
punished.  I expect  the  friends  of  the  Union  in  this  valley  to 
banish  from  among  them  all  private  feuds,  and  let  a liberal 


172 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


love  of  country  direct  their  conduct  toward  those  who  have 
been  so  sadly  estrayed  and  misguided,  hoping  that  these  days 
of  turbulence  may  soon  be  ended  and  the  days  of  the  Re- 
public soon  return. 

“J.  A.  GARFIELD, 

“ Colonel  Commanding  Brigade.” 

Encouraged  by  this  promise  of  protection,  the 
people  soon  issued  from  their  hiding-places  and 
began  to  flock  about  the  Union  head-quarters. 
From,  them  Garfield' obtained  various  reports  ©f  the 
whereabouts  and  intentions  of  Marshall.  By  some 
he  was  told  that  Marshall,  reinforced  by  three  Vir- 
ginia regiments  and  six  field-pieces,  had  made  a 
stand  and  was  fortifying  himself  in  a strong  position, 
about  thirty  miles  above,  on  the  waters  of  the 
Big  Beaver.  Others  claimed  to  know  that  he  was 
merely  collecting  provisions  and  preparing  to  re- 
treat into  Tennessee  as  soon  as  the  runs  and 
rivers  should  become  passable. 

All  information  pointed  to  the  truth  that  Mar- 
shall had  made  a stand,  and  was  still  within  the 
limits  of  Kentucky.  Garfield  determined  to  learn 
his  exact  position,  and  dispatched  a body  of  one 
hundred  cavalry,  under  Captain  Jenkins,  of  the 
Ohio  cavalry,  with  orders  to  go  up  the  Big  Sandy 
as  far  as  Piketon,  and  not  to  return  until  they  had 
ascertained  the  position  and  intentions  of  the 
enemy. 

From  information  brought  back  by  Captain 
Jenkins,  and  reports  gathered  from  other  sources 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


*73 


■ — mainly  from  the  scout  Jordan — during-  the  suc- 
ceeding weeks  Garfield  was  pretty  well  able  to 
keep  posted  as  to  the  movements  of  Humphrey 
Marshall,  who  was  still  sufficiently  near  to  be  ob- 
noxious. I et  us  see  what  this  was. 

Pound  Gap  is  a wild  and  irregular  opening  in 
the  Cumberland  Mountains,  about  forty-five  miles 
south-west  of  Piketon,  and  leads  into  Virginia.  It  is 
the  only  avenue  for  wagon  communication  between 
the  southerly  portions  of  Virginia  and  Kentucky, 
and  derives  its  name  from  the  fertile  track  of 
meadow-land  which  skirts  the  southerly  base  of 
the  mountains,  and  is  inclosed  by  a narrow  stream 
called  Pound  Fork.  In  the  early  history  of  the 
district,  this  mountain  locality  was  the  home  of  a 
tribe  of  Indians,  who  made  irregular  and  constant 
expeditions  into  Virginia  in  search  of  plunder. 
Returning  with  the  stolen  cattle  of  the  settlers 
they  pastured  them  in  this  meadow  inclosure.  In 
this  way  it  was  christened  the  “ Pound,”  which  in 
time  it  bestowed  both  to  the  gap  and  the  streamlet. 

In  this  “ Pound,”  and  on  the  summit  of  the 
gorge  through  which  the  road  passes,  the  rebels 
had  built  long  huts,  capable  of  quartering  nearly 
a thousand  men;  and  across  the  opening,  to  make 
their  position  apparently  impregnable,  they  had 
built  directly  across  the  gap  a formidable  breast- 
work— completely  blocking  up  the  way,  and  be- 
hind which  five  hundred  men  could  resist  success- 
fully five  thousand. 


1 74 


LIFE  AArD  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


In  several  weeks  Pound  Gap  had  been  garri- 
soned by  about  six  hundred  rebel  militia  under 
a Major  Thompson,  and  though  incapable  of  ef- 
fective service  in  the  field  the  troops  had  been  of 
no  small  value  to  the  rebel  cause  by  holding  this 
gateway  into  Virginia  and  establishing  a constant 
reign  of  terror  among  all  the  loyal  citizens  of  the 
surrounding  country.  Imitating  the  Indians,  the 
rebels  would  issue  from  this  stronghold  in  small 

O 

parties,  descend  to  the  valleys,  rob  and  murder 
the  peaceful  inhabitants,  and  before  pursuit  was 
possible  would  be  once  more  behind  the  protect- 
ing breastworks.  Many  of  these  predatory  bands 
had  been  captured  through  the  ceaseless  activity 
of  the  Kentucky  cavalry,  but  as  soon  as  one  party 
was  captured  another  would  start  out  from  the 
stronghold  to  continue  the  work  of  spoliation  and 
perpetuate  the  reign  of  blood.  It  soon  became 
evident  that  the  only  way  to  effectually  stop  these 
inroads  was  to  break  up  once  and  forever  the 
nest  on  the  mountain.  This  Garfield  had  long 
determined  to  do.  He  waited  only  for  reliable 
information  as  to  the  strength  and  position  of 
the  rebels  and  for  a definite  description  of  the 
route  to  be  taken  to  get  in  the  rear  of  the  in- 
trcnchments. 

This  information  the  scout  Jordan,  after  sur- 
mounting many  difficulties  and  encountering  great 
dangers,  __  was  enabled  to  supply.  He  made  for 
Garfield  an  accurate  map  of  the  position  and 
wrote  to  him: 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


1 75 


“General  Marshall  has  issued  an  order  for  a 
grand  muster  of  the  rebel  militia  on  the  15th  of 
March.  They  are  to  meet  at  the  ‘ Pound  ’ in  the 
T rear  of  their  intrenchments,  and  it  is  expected  they 
will  muster  in  sufficient  strength  to  enter  Ken- 
tucky and  drive  the  Union  forces  before  them.” 

Garfield  at  once  determined  to  forestall  the 
intended  gathering  and  to  break  up  the  entire 
swarm  of  guerillas.  He  set  out  on  the  following 
morning  with  three  days’  rations  in  the  haversacks 
of  his  men,  and  a quantity  of  provisions  packed 
cn  the  backs  of  mules.  He  took  with  him  two 
hundred  and  twenty  of  the  Fortieth  Ohio,  under 
Colonel  Cranor,  two  hundred  of  the  Forty-second 
Ohio,  under  Major  Pardee,  one  hundred  and 
eighty  of  the  Twenty-second  Kentucky,  under 
Major  Cook,  and  a hundred  cavalry,  under  Major 
McLaughlin,  a total  of  seven  hundred. 

The  roads  were  deep  in  mud,  and  the  countless 
rivulets  that  thread  through  this  mountainous 
region  were  filled  with  ice  and  swollen  to  the  size 
of  respectable  torrents.  The  little  army  made 
light  of  the  difficulties,  however,  and  pressed  on 
with*-  perseverance  over  the  rough  roads  in  the 
midst  of  the  drenching  rain.  Late  on  the  second 
day  Elkborn  Creek  was  reached,  a small  stream 
which  flows  along  the  northern  base  of  the  moun- 
tains  and  empties  into  the  Big  Sandy,  only  two 
miles  below  the  rebel  position.  Here  the  troops 
went  into  camp  on  the  wet  ground,  and  waited  the 
coming  of  dawn. 


1 76 


LIFE  and  public  career  of 


Garfield’s  plan  was  to  send  his  one  hundred 
cavalrymen  up  the  road  to  make  a demonstration 
against  the  enemy’s  intrenchmcnts,  and  to  engage 
his  attention  while  he,  with  the  six  hundred  infan- 
try, should  climb  the  steep  side  of  the  mountain 
and,  filing  along  a narrow  ledge  of  rocks  at  the 
summit,  reach  the  gap  and  attack  the  rebels  upon 
the  flank.  To  prove  successful,  absolute  secrecy 
was  required ; and  to  obtain  this  every  male  resi- 
dent of  the  vicinity  was  brought  into  camp  and 
detained,  that  he  should  not  carry  information  to 
the  enemy.  Questions  were  asked  of  every  one 
as  to  some  practicable  route  to  the  rear  of  the 
rebel  intrenchments.  There  was  no  route.  The 
mountain  was  steep,  and  in  many  places  precipi- 
tous, and  it  was  tangled  with  dense  thickets,  ob' 
structed  with  fallen  logs,  and  covered  with  huge 
boulders  which,  coated  with  ice  and  snow,  formed 
an  almost  impassable  barrier  to  the  passage  of 
any  living  thing,  save  the  panther  or  the  cata- 
mount. Then  again,  even  if  the  adventurous 
band  succeeded  in  gaining  the  mountain  summit 
in  the  face  of  these  obstacles,  there  was  still  to  be 
traversed  for  a long  distance  a narrow  ledge, 
buried  three  feet  in  treacherous  snow,  where 
one  false  step  would  be  dangerous — a place 
where  ten  men  could  dispute  the  passage  of  ten 
thousand. 

Though  tempted  with  liberal  offers  of  money, 
not  one  of  the  “ natives  ” would  undertake  to 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


I 77 


guide  the  expedition  on  the  perilous  journey  about 
to  be  undertaken.  Garfield  laid  down  at  midnight 
on  the  floor  of  a miserable  log  shanty,  near  the 
foot  of  the  mountains.  The  prospect  was  in  no 
way  encouraging.  But,  turning  back  was  out  of 
the  question.  Even  if  failure  was  to  be  the  re- 
ward of  his  pains,  the  Union  commander  deter- 
mined to  scale  the  mountain  in  the  morning. 

These  thoughts  in  his  mind,  he  dropped  off  to 
sleep.  Before  morning  he  was  aroused  by  a num- 
ber of  men  entering  his  apartment — one  of  them 
said : 

“ Colonel,  this  old  fellow  has  just  come  into 
camp,  and  offers  to  guide  us  over  the  mountains. 
He  says  he  knows  every  road  of  this  region,  and 
can  lead  us  to  the  rebel  nest  in  safety.” 

Garfield  raised  himself  on  his  blanket,  and  by 
the  dim  light  of  the  logs  that  were  smouldering 
on  the  hearth  looked  narrowly  at  the  old  native. 
He  was  apparently  not  far  from  seventy,  with  a 
tall,  bent  form,  and  long  hair  and  beard  which 
were  almost  of  snowy  whiteness.  He  wore  the 
common  homespun  of  the  district,  and  over  his 
shoulder  carried,  slung  by  a stout  leather  thong,  a 
brightly-burnished  squirrel  rifle.  His  enormous 
beard  and  huge  slouch  hat  more  than  half  hid  his 
face,  but  enough  of  it  was  exposed  to  show  a 
tawny,  smoke-begrimed  skin,  and  strongly-marked, 
determined  features.  Hastily  scanning  him  from 
head  to  foot,  the  JJnion  officer  said,  smiling: 


1 78 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OP 


“You!  old  man,  do  you  think  you  can  climb 
the  mountain  ?” 

“ I hev  done  it,  gineral,  many  and  many  a 
time,”  said  the  native  in  a voice  that  sounded 
much  like  a cracked  kettle. 

“ I know,  but  in  winter  the  slope  is  a sheet  of 
ice  and  three  feet  of  snow  on  the  summit.” 

“I  homed  down  it  not  ten  days  ago.  Whar  1 
kin  come  down  ye  kin  go  up.” 

“ I should  think  so — up  or  down.  Is  there  a 
bridle  path  we  can  follow  ?” 

“Yes,  eight  miles  below.  But  ye’d  better  make 
yer  own  path.  Ye  must  cum  unto  them  unbe- 
known and  sudden,  and  to  do  that  ye  must  foller 
the  path  squirrels  travil.” 

“And  do  you  think  we  can  get  over  it  safely  ?” 

“Yes,  if  ye’s  men  of  narve  as  means  to  do 
what  they  has  come  about.” 

“Well,”  continued  Garfield,  after  a pause,  “what 
induces  an  old  man  like  you  to  undertake  a thing 
so  hazardous  ?” 

“The  hope  to  rid  ther  kentry  of  a set  of 
murderin’  thieves  as  is  carrying  terror  and  death 
inter  every  poor  man’s  home  in  all  the  valley.” 

“And  what  reward  do  you  look  for  ?” 

“Nary  reward — only  your  word  that  I shall  go 
as  I come,  with  no  one  to  let  or  hinder  me.” 

Garfield  took  a long,  steady  look  at  him,  and 
replied : 

“Very  well.  I’ll  trust  you.  Be  here  early  in 
the  morning.” 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


17  9 


When  the  morning  came,  the  snow  was  falling 
so  thickly  that  objects  only  a few  rods  distant  were 
totally  invisible.  At  nine  o’clock,  the  little  body 
of  cavalry  was  started  up  the  road  to  engage  the 
attention  of  the  enemy  and  draw  him  from  his  in- 
trenchments.  Then  the  infantry  was  set  in  motion. 
In  a long,  bristling,  serpent-like  column,  catching 
at  every  twig,  and  shrub,  and  fallen  log  that  lay 
in  their  way,  they  clambered  slowly  up  the  icy 
mountain-side,  the  old  guide  leading  the  way  and 
steadying  his  steps  by  the  long  iron-shod  staff 
in  use  among  mountaineers.  The  ridge  at  this 
point  rises  two  thousand  feet  above  the  valley, 
and  half-way  up  breaks  into  abrupt  precipices, 
which  seem  to  defy  thq  approach  of  any  foot  but 
that  of  the  deer.  After  a hard  scramble  through 
the  tangled  thickets,  over  the  ice-coated  rocks  and 
along  the  steep  ridge  which  crowns  the  summit  of 
the  mountain,  the  native,  turning  sharply  to  the 
left,  said  to  Garfield : 

“You  are  now  within  half  a mile  of  the  rebel 
position.  Yonder  is  their  outside  picket,  but  the 
way  is  clear ; press  on  at  the  double  and  you  have 
them.” 

The  picket  had  now  descried  the  advancing 
column,  and  firing  his  gun,  he  set  out  at  the  top  of 
his  speed  for  the  rebel  intrenchments.  A dozen 
bullets  made  shrill  music  about  his  ears,  but  he 
kept  on,  and  the  eager  blue-coats  followed.  When 
within  sight  of  the  rebel  camp,  a line  was  thrown 


jSq  life  and  public  career  of 

down  along  the  eastern  slope  of  the  mountain 
and  pressing  rapidly  forward  was  formed  along 
the  deep  gorge  through  which  the  high  road 
passes.  Up  to  this  time  the  rebels  had  been  skir- 
mishing with  the  cavalry  in  front  of  their  intrench- 
ments,  but  now  they  gathered  on  the  hill  directly 
opposite  the  advanced  portion  of  the  Union  in- 
fantry 

To  try  the  range,  Garfield  sent  a volley  across 
the  gorge,  and  as  the  smoke  cleared  away,  he  saw 
the  unformed  rebel  line  melt  like  mist  into  the 
opposite  forest.  The  enemy’s  position  being  now 
understood,  the  Fortieth  and  Forty-second  Ohio 
were  ordered  to  the  already  formed  left  wing,  and 
then  along  the  line  rang  the  words,  “Press  for- 
ward, scale  the  hill  and  carry  it  with  the  bayonet!” 

A ringing  shout  was  the  only  answer,  and  then 
the  long  column  swept  down  the  ridge,  across  the 
ravine,  through  the  rebel  camp  and  up  the  oppo- 
site mountain.  The  rebels  gradually  fell  back 
among  the  trees,  but  when  the  Union  bayonets 
clambered  up  the  hill  they  broke  and  ran  in  the 
wildest  confusion.  The  Unionists  followed,  firing 
as  they  ran  and  for  a few  moments  the  mountains 
echoed  with  the  quick  reports  of  the  Ohio  rifles. 
Pursuit  in  the  dense  forest  was  impossible  and 
soon  the  recall  was  sounded. 

Only  one  was  killed  and  seven  were  wounded. 
But  this  well-nigh  bloodless  victory  rid  Eastern 
Kentucky  of  rebel  rule.  The  troops  were  re-as- 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


1 8 1 


sembled  and  passed  a comfortable  night  in  the 
enemy’s  quarters,  faring  sumptuously  upon  the 
viands  there  found.  The  next  morning  the  cabins, 
sixty  in  number,  were  burned,  the  breastworks 
destroyed  and  the  general  set  out  on  his  return 
to  Piketon,  which  he  reached  the  following  night, 
having  been  absent  four  days  and  having  marched 
in  that  time  about  one  hundred  miles  over  a rough 
and  broken  country. 

Six  days  afterward  an  order  was  received  to 
leave  a small  garrison  at  Piketon,  and  to  transfer 
the  rest  of  the  command,  as  rapidly  as  possible,  to 
Louisville. 

This  ended  the  campaign  on  the  Big  Sandy,  a 
campaign  that  more  than  justified  every  hope  of 
Garfield’s  friends,  and  won  him  a military  reputa- 
tion that  has  continued  unto  the  end.  The  opera- 
tions in  the  Sandy  Valley  had  been  conducted 
with  such  energy  and  skill  as  to  receive  the  special 
commendation  of  the  commanding-general,  and  of 
the  Government.  General  Buell  was  moved  to 
words  of  unwonted  praise,  and  sent  to  Garfield  the 
following  congratulatory  order : 

Head-quarters  Department  of  the  Ohio, 
Louisville,  Ky.,  January  20th,  1862. 

General  Orders,  No.  40. 

The  general  commanding  takes  occasion  to  thank  General 
Garfield  and  his  troops  for  their  successful  campaign  against 
the  rebel  force  under  General  Marshall,  on  the  Big  Sandy, 
and  their  gallant  conduct  in  battle.  They  have  overcome 


182 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


formidable  difficulties  in  the  character  of  country,  condition 
of  the  roads  and  the  inclemency  of  the  season  ; and,  without 
artillery,  have  in  several  engagements,  terminating  in  the 
battle  of  Middle  Creek,  on  the  ioth  inst.,  driven  the  enemy 
from  his  intrenched  position  and  forced  him  back  into  the 
mountains,  with  a loss  of  a large  amount  of  baggage  and 
stores,  and  many  of  his  men  killed  or  captured. 

These  services  have  called  into  action  the  highest  qualities 
of  a soldier — fortitude,  perseverance  and  courage. 

By  order,  Don  Carlos  Buell, 

Major-  General  Commanding. 

The  War  Department,  to  show  its  appreciation, 
made  Colonel  Garfield  a Brigadier-General,  the 
commission  bearing  the  date  of  the  battle  of  Mid- 
dle Creek,  January  ioth,  1862.  And  the  country, 
without  understanding  very  well  the  details  of  the 
campaign,  fully  appreciated  the  tangible  result. 
The  discomfiture  of  Humphrey  Marshall  was  a 
source  of  special  chagrin  to  the  rebel  sympathizers 
in  Kentucky,  and  of  amusement  and  admiration 
throughout  the  loyal  West.  Garfield  at  once  took 
rank  in  the  public  estimation,  as  worthily  among 
the  most  promising  of  the  younger  volunteer 
generals. 

In  his  “Ohio  in  the  War,”  Whitelaw  Reid  passes 
this  judgment  on  the  campaign:  “Later  criticism 
will  confirm  the  general  verdict  then  passed 
’ non  the  Sandy  Valley  campaign.  It  was  the 
first  of  the  brilliant  series  of  successes  that  made 
the  spring  of  1862  so  memorable.  Mill  Springs, 
Fort  Henry,  Fort  Donelson,  Nashville,  Island 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


183 

No.  10  and  Memphis,  followed  in  quick  succession; 
but  it  was  to  Garfield’s  honor  that  he  had  opened 
this  season  of  victories.  His  plans,  as  we  have 
seen,  were  based  on  sound  military  principles  ; the 
energy  which  he  threw  into  their  execution  was 
thoroughly  admirable,  and  his  management  of  the 
raw  volunteers,  was  such  that  they  acquired  the 
fullest  confidence  in  their  commander  and  endured 
the  hardships  of  the  campaign  with  fortitude  not 
often  shown  in  the  first  field-service  of  new  troops. 
But  the  operations  were  on  a small  scale,  and 
their  chief  significance  lay  in  the  capacity  they  de- 
veloped, rather  than  in  their  intrinsic  importance.11 


184 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


CHAPTER  XIV. 


OFF  TO  AID  GRANT. 

GARFIELD  has  now  to  be  transferred  to  a 
wider  field  of  operations.  His  conspicu- 
ous ability,  developed  in  battle,  and  his 
great  bravery  could  not  be  allowed  to  remain  idle 
within  the  bounds  of  the  Big  Sandy  district,  so 
effectively  freed  by  him  from  the  control  of  the 
rebels. 

When  he  arrived  at  Louisville,  he  found  that  the 
Army  of  the  Ohio  was  already  beyond  Nashville, 
on  its  way  to  aid  Grant  at  Pittsburg  Landing.  He 
hastened  after  it,  and  reported  to  General  Buell 
about  thirty  miles  south  of  Columbia,  and  under 
his  orders  at  once  assumed  command  of  the 
Twentieth  Brigade,  then  a part  of  the  division  un- 
der General  Thomas  J.  W ood.  General  W ood  was 
making  all  possible  effort  to  reach  the  Union  forces 
under  Grant,  as  the  approaching  battle  with  Sidney 
Johnson  was  anticipated  as  very  probably  a battle 
of  the  greatest  importance. 

The  battle  began  on  the  morning  of  April  6th. 
About  ten  that  day,  Grant  hearing  that  Wood, 
with  the  second  division  of  Buell’s  army,  had  ar- 
rived at  Savannah,  sent  him  the  following  order : 
“You  will  move  your  command,  with  the  utmost 


Pickets  on  Duty. 


Army  Head-quarters* 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


isr 

dispatch,  to  the  river  at  this  point  (landing),  where 
steamers  will  be  in  readiness  to  convey  you  to 
Pittsburg.” 

Still  later  in  the  day  another  dispatch  was  sent 
to  the  commanding  officer  of  Buell’s  forces,  urging 
him  to  hurry  up. 

It  is  not  necessary  to  recount  here  how 
thoroughly  the  Union  forces  were  whipped  on  the 
first  day,  and  how  extremely  probable  it  seemed 
that  the  defeat  would  turn  into  a rout.  But  here, 
as  on  many  another  field  later  in  the  bloody  con- 
flict, Ohio  saved  the  day.  When  a halt  was  called 
on  the  evening  of  the  6th  it  was  determined  by 
Grant  that  the  Ohio  troops  were  to  form  upon  the 
left  in  the  morning,  and  the  attack  was  to  be  re- 
newed. During  the  night  of  the  6th,  Buell  busied 
himself  in  getting  his  troops  up.  Nelson’s  column 
and  nearly  all  of  Crittenden’s  and  McCook’s  divi- 
sions were  ferried  across  the  river  and  put  in 
position.  All  night  long  the  gun-boats  dropped 
shells  at  intervals  on  the  rebel  lines,  and  the  woods 
caught  fire,  lighting  up  the  battle-field  for  miles 
away.  But  for  a merciful  shower  of  rain  thousands 
of  helpless  wounded  would  have  been  burned  to 
death  on  that  blazing  battle-field.  The  orders 
were : 

“As  soon  as  it  is  light  enough  to  see,  attack 
with  a heavy  skirmish  line,  and  when  you  have 
found  the  enemy,  throw  upon  him  your  whole 
force,  leaving  no  reserve.” 


1 88 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


With  the  first  gray  of  dawn  this  orcier  was  put 
in  execution.  The  Ohio  troops  were  given  the 
left  of  the  field,  Grant’s  army,  or  what  of  it  could 
be  gathered  together,  undertook  to  form  and  main- 
tain the  right.  As  rapidly  as  the  Ohioans  could 
come  up  they  went  into  action.  As  may  be  in- 
ferred, they  fought  with  splendid  energy.  During 
the  early  part  of  the  day  Grant  met  the  First  Ohio 
marching  toward  the  northern  part  of  the  field, 
and  immediately  in  front  of  a position  which  it  was 
important  should  be  taken.  The  regiment  on  the 
left  was  fighting  hard,  but  about  to  yield  ; in  fact, 
had  given  away,  when  Grant  called  upon  the  Ohio 
boys  to  change  direction  and  charge.  The  sol- 
diers, with  a cheer,  obeyed,  and  the  retreating 
troops,  seeing  what  was  going  on,  took  new  cour- 
age, and  rallying  with  loud  shouts,  drove  the 
enemy  from  their  strong  position. 

Garfield  had  all  this  time  been  actively  engaged 
in  every  possible  exertion  to  bring  up  his  brigade 
in  time  to  assist  before  either  defeat  or  victory 
silenced  the  cannonading,  that  he  so  distinctly 
heard.  About  one  P.  M.,  he  reached  the  front, 
and  with  a wild  cheer  his  men  dashed  at  the  rebels, 
he  leading  through  the  storm  of  lead.  The  fresh 
onslaught,  in  which  Garfield’s  brigade  participated, 
changed  the  fortunes  of  the  day,  and  the  rebels 
were  soon  flying  from  where  they  had  fought  so 
long  and  well.  The  Union  troops  were  too  much 
exhausted  for  pursuit,  and  halting  in  the  camps 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD.  jgg 

from  which  they  had  been  driven  the  day  before, 
»^ere  content  to  call  it  a victor}". 

On  the  9th,  the  War  Department  issued  the 
following  complimentary  order  to  all  concerned: 

“ The  thanks*of  the  department  are  hereby  given 
to  Generals  Grant  and  Buell,  and  their  forces,  for1 
the  glorious  repulse  of  Beauregard,  at  Pittsburg, 
in  Tennessee.” 

The  next  morning  (the  8th),  Garfield’s  brigade 
formed  a part  of  Sherman’s  advance,  and  partici- 
pated in  a sharp  encounter  with  the  enemy’s  rear 
guard,  a few  miles  beyond  the  battle-field.  The 
brigade  formed  a part  of  the  Union  advance  upon 
Corinth,  to  which  place  Beauregard  had  retreated. 
This  advance  was  slow,  so  slow  that  it  took  six 
weeks  to  march  fifteen  miles.  It  was  not  until  the 
2 1 st  of  May  that  the  armies  were  fairly  in  line, 
three  miles  from  Corinth,  and  everything  ready  for 
the  expected  battle. 

But  all  the  preparations  for  a battle  were  of  no 
use,  and  when  Halleck  was  ready  to  engage 
Beauregard,  the  latter  was  no  longer  in  Corinth. 
He  had  retreated.  Garfield’s  brigade  had  the 
empty  honor  of  being  among  the  earliest  that  en- 
tered the  abandoned  town. 

Then  when  General  Buell,  turning  eastward, 
sought  to  prepare  for  a new  aggressive  campaign 
with  his  inadequate  forces,  General  Garfield  was 
assigned  the  task  of  rebuilding  the  bridges  and 
reopening  the  Memphis  and  Charlestown  railroad 


X go  LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 

eastward  from  Corinth  to  Decatur.  Crossing 
the  Tennessee  here,  he  advanced  to  Huntsville, 
where  he  remained  during  the  rest  of  that  cam- 
paign, carrying  out  every  instruction  received, 
with  absolute  fidelity,  and  at  all  times  with  perfect 
success. 

One  of  the  constant  objects  of  General  Buell 
during  the  time  General  Garfield  was  engfagfed  in 
bridge-building,  a task  for  which  his  energy  and 
familiarity  with  building-work  peculiarly  fitted  him, 
was  the  enforcement  of  discipline  and  the  reduc- 
tion of  the  somewhat  loose  habits  of  the  men  of 
his  command  to  the  army  standard.  Court  mar- 
tials  were  frequent,  and  it  was  not  always  easy  to 
find  officers  thoroughly  fitted  for  such  duties. 
Garfield’s  legal  mind,  his  dispassionate,  fully-rea- 
soned judgment,  singled  him  out  from  among  his 
fellows  for  just  such  work.  His  first  detail  in  this 
class  of  army  experience  was  the  case  of  Colonel 
Turchin,  charged  with  committing  gross  excesses. 
These  charges  were  neglect  of  duty,  to  the  preju- 
dice of  good  order  and  discipline,  in  permitting 
the  wanton  and  disgraceful  pillage  of  the  town  of 
Athens,  Alabama  ; conduct  unbecoming  an  officer 
and  a gentleman  in  failing  to  pay  a hotel  bill  in 
the  town ; and  insubordination  in  disobeying  the 
orders  against  the  molestation  of  peaceful  citizens 
in  persons  and  property.  Some  of  the  specifica- 
tions particularized  very  shameful  conduct.  The 
court  found  him  guilty  (except  as  to  the  hotel  bill 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


I9I 

story)  and  sentenced  him  to  dismissal  from  the 
service.  Six  of  its  members  recommended  him  to 
clemency,  but  General  Buell  was  determined,  and 
the  sentence  was  carried  out.  The  newspapers 
took  up  the  case  and  championed  the  colonel,  and 
those  of  Chicago  were  very  vehement  in  his  de- 
fense. On  his  return  to  Chicago,  he  was  given  a 
public  reception,  and  the  President,  as  if  to  in- 
dorse the  deeds  of  the  disgraced  colonel,  ap- 
pointed him  a brigadier. 

The  old  tendency  to  fever  and  ague,  contracted 
in  the  days  of  his  tow-path  experience  on  the 
Ohio  Canal,  was  now  aggravated  in  the  malari- 
ous climate  of  the  South,  and  Garfield  returned 
home  on  sick-leave,  on  the  1st  of  August.  Hardly 
had  he  started  for  Ohio,  when  the  secretary 
of  war,  who  seems,  at  this  early  day,  to  have 
formed  a high  estimate  of  Garfield,  which  he  con- 
tinued to  entertain  through  the  war,  issued  orders 
to  him  to  proceed  to  Cumberland  Gap,  and  relieve 
General  George  W.  Morgan  of  his  command. 
But  when  they  were  received,  Garfield  was  too  ill 
to  leave  his  bed.  A month  later,  the  secretary 
ordered  him  to  report  in  person,  at  Washington, 
as  soon  as  his  health  would  permit. 

On  his  arrival,  soon  after,  it  was  found  that  the 
estimate  placed  upon  his  knowledge  of  law,  his 
judgment  and  his  loyalty,  had  led  to  his  selection 
as  one  of  the  first  members  of  the  court-martial 
for  the  trial  of  the  noted  Fitz  John  Porter. 


I Q2  LIFE  AND  public  career  of 

The  intimacy  that  sprung-  up  during  this  trial  be- 
tween Garfield  and  General  Hunter,  the  president 
of  the  court-martial,  led  to  an  application  for  him 
for  service  in  South  Carolina,  whither  Hunter  was 
about  to  start.  Garfield’s  strong  anti-slavery  views 
had  been  greatly  strengthened  by  his  experience 
thus  far  during  the  war,  and  the  South  Carolina  ap- 
pointment under  a commander  so  radical  as  Hunter 
was  on  this  account  particularly  gratifying.  But 
in  the  midst  of  his  fears  and  preparations  the  old 
army  in  which  he  had  served,  plunged  into  the 
battle  of  Stone  River.  A part  of  the  bitter  cost 
of  the  victory  that  followed  was  the  loss  of 
Garesche,  the  lamented  chief  of  staff  to  the  com- 
manding general.  Garfield  was  at  once  selected 
to  take  his  place,  the  appointment  to  South  Car- 
olina was  revoked,  and  early  in  January,  1863,  he 
was  ordered  out  to  join  Major-General  Willliam  S. 
Rosecrans,  then  in  command  of  the  Army  of  the 
Cumberland. 

When  he  arrived  at  Rosecrans’s  head-quarters 
that  officer  was  already  prejudiced  against  him. 
For  the  general  understood  that  he  was  a preacher 
who  had  gone  into  politics,  and  a man  of  that  cast 
he  was  naturally  opposed  to.  Rosecrans  kept 
him  at  head-quarters  for  a couple  of  days,  as  he 
desired  to  make  his  acquaintance  and  sound  the 
man  before  assigning  him  to  active  duty.  The 
more  he  saw  of  him  the  more  he  liked  him,  and 
finally  he  gave  Garfield  his  choice,  confirmation  as 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


193 


chief  of  staff  or  the  command  of  a brigade.  Most 
men  would  have  taken  the  brigade,  but  Garfield 
chose  to  remain  with  the  general.  That  Rose- 
crans  never  regretted  the  appointment  as  chief  of 
staff,  which  he  made  immediately  after  the  inter- 
view, is  evidenced  by  what  he  has  said. 

“We  were  together  until  the  Chattanooga  affair. 
I found  him  to  be  a competent  and  efficient  officer, 
an  earnest  and  devoted  patriot,  and  a man  of  the 
highest  honor.  His  views  were  lame  and  he 
was  possessed  of  a thoroughly  comprehensive 
mind.” 

His  appointment  as  chief  of  staff  gave  great 
satisfaction  throughout  the  army,  and  it  was  every- 
where expressed.  The  country  was  equally 
pleased,  especially  Ohio.  The  editor  of  the  Zenia 
Torchlight , a paper  published  at  Garfield’s  home, 
thus  commented  on  the  appointment: 

“We  have  known  General  James  A.  Garfield  for 
several  years,  and  entertain  for  him  the  highest 
personal  regard.  He  is  one  of  the  most  eloquent 
men  in  Ohio,  as  well  as  one  of  the  ripest  scholars. 
Socially  and  morally,  he  has  no  superior.  He  is 
popular  with  all,  as  the  attachment  of  his  scholars, 
as  well  as  his  soldiers,  for  him  demonstrates. 

“In  respect  to  abilities,  nature  has  by  no  means 
been  unfriendly  to  him ; and  he  has  neither  de- 
spised nor  slighted  her  gifts.  A severe  course  of 
mental  training,  combined  with  the  mental  prac- 
tice obtained  by  presiding  over  one  of  the  colleges 


194 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


of  Ohio,  has  fully  developed  his  natural  endow- 
ments. 

“ Above  all  these  considerations,  every  one  re- 
spects General  Garfield  for  his  stern,  unyielding, 
^uncompromising  patriotism.  The  permanent  good 
of  his  country,  the  restoration  of  its  unity,  and  the 
perpetuation  of  the  National  power  and  glory 
through  all  coming  time,  are  the  objects  which  he 
keeps  steadily  in  view.” 

Once  installed  in  his  new  position,  he  rapidly 
grew  into  a favorite.  Possessed  of  sound,  natural 
sense,  an  excellent  judgment,  a highly-cultivated 
intellect,  and  the  deserved  reputation  of  a success- 
ful military  leader,  he  was  soon  to  be  the  mentor  of 
the  staff,  and  his  opinions  sought,  and  his  counsels 
heeded  by  many  who  were  older  and  not  less  dis- 
tinguished than  himself. 

Edmund  Kirke,  in  his  picturesque  war  story, 
“Down  in  Tennessee,”  written  in  1863,  draws  the 
following  pen-portrait  of  Garfield  in  his  new 
capacity: 

“In  a corner  by  the  window,  seated  at  a small 
pine  desk — a sort  of  packing-box,  perched  on  a 
long-legged  stool,  and  divided  into  pigeon-holes, 
with  a turn-down  lid — was  a tall,  deep-chested, 
sinewy-built  man,  with  regular,  massive  features,  a 
full,  clear  blue  eye,  slightly  tinged  with  gray,  and 
a high,  broad  forehead,  rising  into  a ridge  over  the 
eyes,  as  if  it  had  been  thrown  up  by  a plow.  There 
was  something  singularly  engaging  in  his  open, 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


195 


expressive  face,  and  his  whole  appearance  indi- 
cated, as  the  phrase  goes,  ‘great  reserve  power.’ 
His  uniform,  though  cleanly  brushed  and  sitting 
easily  upon  him,  had  a sort  of  democratic  air,  and 
everything  about  him  seemed  to  denote  that  he 
was  ‘a  man  of  the  people.’  A rusty  slouched 
hat,  large  enough  to  have  fitted  Daniel  Webster, 
lay  on  the  desk  before  him ; but  a glance  at  that 
was  not  needed  to  convince  me  that  his  head  held 
more  than  the  common  share  of  brains.  Thou  Hi 

o 

he  is  yet  young — not  thirty-three — the  reader  has 
heard  of  him,  and  if  he  lives  he  will  make  his  name 
long  remembered  in  our  history.” 

Garfield  was  looked  upon  as  the  only  mature 
member  of  the  staff,  Rosecrans  having  a par- 
tiality for  young  and  gallant  spirits,  like  Captain 
Charles  Thompson,  Major  Bond,  Colonel  Mickler, 
Captain  Hunter  Brooke,  Major  Horace  Porter, 
subsequently  on  Grant’s  staff,  and  Major  Morton 
McMichael.  Not  that  Garfield  was  much  older  than 
these  officers,  but  he  had  a mature  look  always, 
and  his  mood  was  ever  serious,  as  if  there  was  in 
the  peril  of  the  nation  something  more  of  personal 
concern  and  personal  interest  to  him  than  to  most 
of  his  associates. 

It  was  while  acting  in  this  capacity  that  Gar- 
field had  a conversation  with  Clement  C.  Valland- 
ingham.  Vallandingham  having  been  banished 
for  his  treasonable  sentiments,  was  brought  to 
Murfeesboro,  Tenn.,  where  the  army  lay,  to  be 


196 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


sent  by  flag  of  truce  into  the  rebel  lines,  a few 
miles  distant,  at  Tullahoma.  When  brought  into 
camp,  Vallandingham  was  taken,  in  the  usual 
course  of  business,  to  Rosecrans’s  head-quarters, 
and  he  and  Garfield  being  acquaintances,  it  was  na- 
tural they  should  fall  into  conversation,  and  equally 
natural  that  the  conversation  should  turn  upon 
the  policy  and  conduct  of  the  war,  in  a political 
sense. 

Vallandingham  was  to  go  off  the  next  day, 
escorted  as  far  as  the  rebel  lines,  in  the  vicinity  of 
Tuflihoma.  He  entered  Rosecrans’s  tent  at  an 
early  hour  of  the  morning  with  an  affectation  of  un- 
concern and  light-heartedness  which  he  could  not 
have  felt,  threw  himself  into  a tragic  attitude,  and 
in  a mock  heroic  vein  exclaimed,  quoting  from 
Romeo  and  Juliet: 

“ Night’s  candles  are  burnt  out,  and  jocund  day 
Stands  tiptoe  on  the  misty  mountain  tops.” 

Here  he  hesitated,  when  Garfield  quickly  but 
quietly  finished  the  speech,  by  adding,  in  a half 
aside,  to  the  aid-de-camp  in  charge  of  the  flag  of 
truce  escort,  waiting  to  convey  Vallandingham  to 
the  rebel  lines, 

“ I must  begone  and  live,  or  stay  and  die.” 

Vallandingham,  however,  overheard  and  caught 
the  hidden  meaning  of  the  citation,  and  blushed 
scarlet,  as  he  made  its  application. 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


197 


CHAPTER  XV, 


GARFIELD  AS  CHIEF  OF  STAFF. 


HE  chief  of  staff  should  bear  the  same  re* 


lation  to  his  general  that  a minister  o,t 


state  does  to  his  sovereign.  What  this 
relation  is,  that  brilliant  historian,  Kinglake,  tells 
us  in  his  “ Crimean  War 

“ The  difference  between  a servant  and  a minis- 
ter of  state  lies  in  this,  that  the  servant  obeys  the 
orders  given  him,  without  troubling  himself  con- 
cerning the  question  whether  his  master  is  right  or 
wrong,  while  a minister  of  state  declines  to  be  the 
instrument  for  giving  effect  to  the  measures  which 
he  deems  hurtful  to  his  country.  The  chancellor  of 
the  Russian  Empire  was  sagacious  and  politic. 
That  the  czar  was  wrong  in  these  transactions 
against  Turkey,  no  man  knew  better.  But,  un- 
happily for  the  czar  and  for  his  empire,  the  minis- 
ter did  not  enjoy  so  commanding  a station  as  to 
be  able  to  put  restraint  upon  his  sovereign,  nor 
even,  perhaps,  to  offer  him  counsel  in  his  angry 
mood.” 

We  now  see  that  in  some  respects  our  chief  of 
staff  went  through  a similar  experience.  From 
the  day  of  his  appointment,  General  Garfield  be- 
came the  intimate  associate  and  confidential  ad- 


198 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


viser  of  his  chief.  But  he  did  not  occupy  so 
commanding  a station  as  to  be  able  to  put 
restraint  upon  him. 

The  time  of  General  Garfield’s  arrival  marks 
the  beginning  of  that  period  of  quarrels  with  the 
War  Department,  in  which  General  Rosecrans 
frittered  away  his  influence  and  paved  the  way 
for  his  removal.  That  great  strategist  and  gallant 
soldier  was  always  unwise  in  caring  for  his  own 
interests,  and  generally  was  very  imprudent  in  his 
intercourse  with  his  superiors.  Yet  he  was  nearly 
always  right  in  his  demands,  especially  when  he 
made  appeals  to  the  War  Department  for  more 
cavalry  and  revolving  arms.  In  these  requests  Gar- 
field was  heart  and  soul  with  his  superior.  At  the 
same  time,  he  did  all  in  his  power  to  soften  the 
tone  of  asperity  which  his  chief  adopted  in  his 
dispatches  to  Washington.  Sometimes  he  took 
the  responsibility  of  totally  suppressing  an  angry 
message.  Oftener  he  ventured  to  soften  the 
phraseology.  But  in  all  this  there  was  a limit 
beyond  which  he  could  not  go,  and  when  Rose- 
crans had  pronounced  certain  statements  of  the 
department,  “a  profound,  grievous,  cruel  and  un- 
generous official  and  personal  wrong,”  the  good 
offices  of  the  chief  of  staff  were  no  longer  effica- 
cious— the  breach  was  irreparable.  Thencefor- 
ward he  could  only  strive  to  make  victories  in  the 
field  atone  for  errors  in  council. 

He  regarded  the  organization  of  the  army  as 


JAMES  A.  CARFjELD. 


199 


vitally  defective.  Almost  the  first  recommendation 
made  by  General  Garfield  was  the  displacement 
of  A.  M.  McCook  and  T.  L.  Crittenden.  This 
recommendation  was  made  in  course  of  a dis- 
cussion on  the  battle  of  Stone  River,  in  which 
Rosecrans  explicitly  said  that  these  officers  had 
shown  themselves  incompetent  in  that  engage- 
ment. Garfield  then,  with  his  clear-headed  judg- 
ment— utterly  unmoved  by  popular  prejudice,  and 
thoroughly  well  able  to  perceive  real  ability''  be- 
neath concealing  misfortune — recommended  that 
McCook  and  Crittenden  be  replaced  by  Irvin  Mc- 
Dowell and  Don  Carlos  Buell.  Garfield  did  not 
take  the  ground  that  Buell  and  McDowell  had 
proved  themselves  equal  to  the  high  commands 
they  had  already  held,  but  without  discussing  this, 
he  argued  at  length  their  masterly  qualifications 
for  important  subordinate  positions,  as  well  as  the 
fact  that  this  offer  of  an  opportunity  to  come  out 
from  the  cloud  under  which  they  rested  would  in- 
sure their  gratitude  and  incite  them  to  their  very 
best  efforts.  With  George  H.  Thomas  already  in 
command,  with  men  like  these  as  his  associates,  and 
with  the  energy  and  genius  of  Rosecrans  to  lead 
them,  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland  would  have 
been  the  best  officered  army  in  the  service  of  the 
nation.  But  “ Rosecrans  was  unwilling  to  adopt 
the  suggestion — for  a reason  creditable  to  his  kind- 
ness of  heart,  but  not  to  his  military  character — 

Crittenden  and  McCook  ought  to  be  removed, 

1 2 


200 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


of  that  he  had  no  doubt,  but — ‘he  hated  to  injure 
two  such  good  fellows,’  and  the  two  good  fellows 
remained  with  him  until  Chickamauga.” 

From  January  4th  to  June  24th,  Rosecrans  lay 
at  Murfreesboro.  Through  five  months  of  this 
delay  Garfield  was  with  him.  The  War  Depart- 
ment demanded  an  advance,  and,  when  the  spring 
opened,  with  unusual  vehemence.  General  Rose- 
crans delayed,  waiting  for  cavalry,  for  reinforce- 
ments, for  Grant’s  movements  before  Vicksburg, 
for  the  movements  of  the  enemy,  for  the  opinions 
of  the  generals.  The  chief  of  staff  at  first  ap- 
proved the  delays  till  the  army  should  be  strength- 
ened and  massed,  but  long  before  the  delaying 
officers  were  ready  he  was  urging  movement  with 
all  his  power.  In  a private  letter,  dated  June  12th, 
1863,  he  urged  an  advance.  He  wrote: 

“Bragg’s  army  is  weaker  than  it  has  been  since 
the  previous  battles.  If  Grant  succeeds  at  Vicks- 
burg, it  will  take  weeks  to  recover  from  the  shock 
and  strain.  * * * The  turbulent  aspect  of 

politics  in  the  loyal  States  renders  a decisive  blow 
against  the  enemy  at  this  time  of  the  utmost  im- 
portance. * * * The  country  is  anxiously  hop- 
ing for  the  army  to  move.  * * * Our  true 

objective  is  the  rebel  army.  Our  army  is  superior 
in  efficiency  and  morale.  * * * For  these  rea- 

sons I believe  an  immediate  advance  of  all  our 
available  forces  is  advisable,  and  under  the  provi- 
dence of  God  will  be  successful.” 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


201 


This  information  he  procured  through  a secret- 
service  system  that  he  had  established ; then,  per- 
haps, the  most  perfect  in  any  of  the  Union  armies. 
As  he  subsequently  said,  he  refused  to  believe 
that  this  army,  which  defeated  a superior  at  Stone 
River,  could  not  now  move  upon  an  inferior  one 
with  reasonable  prospect  of  success. 

The  Army  of  the  Cumberland  agreed  with  Gar- 
field, who  was  a great  favorite  with  the  officers 
and  men.  His  ringing  letter  cn  the  atrocities  of 
rebel  prison-pens,  written  a few  months  previous 
to  this,  had  added  greatly  to  his  popularity.  The 
closing  sentence  of  this  letter  is  good  reading  even 
now: 

“We  cannot  believe  that  the  justice  of  God  will 
allow  such  a people  to  prosper.  Let  every  soldier 
know  that  death  on  the  battle-field  is  preferable 
to  a surrender  followed  by  such  outrages  as  their 
comrades  have  undero-one.” 

o 

Finally,  General  Rosecrans  formally  asked  his 
corps,  division  and  cavalry  generals  as  to  the  pro- 
priety of  a movement.  With  singular  unanimity, 
though  for  divers  reasons,  they  opposed  it  Out 
of  seventeen  generals  not  one  was  in  favor  of  an 
immediate  advance,  and  not  one  was  even  willing 
to  put  himself  upon  the  record  as  in  favor  of  an 
early  advance. 

General  Garfield  collated  the  seventeen  letters 
sent  in  from  the  generals  in  reply  to  the  questions 
of  their  commander,  and  fairly  refuted  their  sub- 


202 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


stance,  coupled  with  a cogent  argument  against 
them  and  in  favor  of  an  immediate  movement. 
This  report,  says  an  excellent  authority,  is  “ the 
ablest  military  document  known  to  have  been  sub- 
mitted by  a chief  of  staff  to  his  superior  during 
the  war.”  General  Garfield  stood  absolutely 
alone,  every  general  commanding  troops  having,  as 
we  have  seen,  either  openly  opposed  or  failed  to 
approve  an  advance.  But  his  statements  were  so 
clear,  and  his  arguments  so  convincing,  that  he 
carried  conviction. 

Twelve  days  after  the  reception  of  this  report 
the  army  moved,  to  the  great  dissatisfaction  of  its 
leading  generals.  One  of  the  three  corps  com- 
manders, Major-General  Thomas  L.  Crittenden, 
approached  the  chief  of  staff  at  the  head-quarters 
the  morning  of  the  advance:  “It  is  understood, 
sir,”  he  said,  “ by  the  general  officers  of  the  army 
that  this  movement  is  your  work.  I wish  you  to 
understand  that  it  is  a rash  and  fatal  move,  for 
which  you  will  be  held  responsible.” 

This  rash  and  fatal  move  was  the  Tullahoma 
campaign,  a campaign  perfect  in  its  conception, 
excellent  in  its  general  execution,  and  only  hindered 
from  resulting  in  the  complete  destruction  of  the 
opposing  army  by  the  delays  which  had  too  long 
postponed  its  commencement.  It  might  even  yet 
have  destroyed  Bragg,  but  for  the  terrible  season 
of  rains  which  set  in  on  the  morning  of  the  advance, 
and  continued  uninterruptedly  for  the  greater  part 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


203 

of  a month.  With  a week’s  earfier  start  it  would 
have  ended  the  career  of  Bragg’s  army  in  the  war. 

Let  us  turn  aside  from  the  direct  story  of  con- 
flict for  a moment  to  a personal  word  about  our 
hero.  One  of  the  most  prolific  war  writers — J.  R. 
Gilmore — who  spent  a month  with  Rosecrans, 
gives  us  some  interesting  gem  pictures  of  Gar- 
field, as  he  was  at  this  time,  the  spring  and  sum- 
mer of  1863.  “ We  rode  one  day  out  to  Sheridan’s 
head-quarters,”  says  Gilmore,  “and  as  we  entered 
the  forest  encircling  the  town,  Garfield  broke  out 
with  Hosea  Bigelow’s  poem : 

“ ‘ I du  believe  in  Freedom’s  cause,’ 

and  if  the  ‘ Down  East  poet’  would  have  any  ap- 
preciation of  his  own  lines,  he  should  hear  them  in 
such  grand,  old  woods,  the  words  echoed  back 
from  the  great  spreading  trees  and  set  to  the 
music  of  an  hundred  horses’  heels.  He  had 
scarcely  ended,  when  Rosecrans  began  to  tell  how 

“ ‘ Zekle  crep’  up,  quite  unbeknown. 

An’  peeped  in  thru  the  winder: 

While  there  sot  Huldy  all  alone 
’Ith  no  one  nigh  to  hinder.’ 

“‘What  would  you  give  to  have  written  that?’ 
Rosecrans  said,  as  he  finished  the  recitation. 

‘“All  the  castles  I ever  built  in  the  clouds,’  was 
the  reply. 

‘“So  would  I.  You  know  what  Wolle  said  be- 
fore his  great  battle  ?’ 

“‘That  he  would  rather  have  written  Gray’s 
Elegy  than  take  Quebec.  Would  you  have  said 


204  LIFE  AND  PUBL1C  CAREER  OF 

that  before  Stone  River?’ 

“He  hesitated  a moment,  and  then  answered: 

‘“No,  for  now  we  need  victories  more  than 
poems.’ 

“We  soon  arrived  at  Sheridan’s.  There  we 
had  some  relaxation.  Sheridan  had  invented 
a game  he  called  Dutch  Ten-Pins.  On  the 
lawn  in  front  of  his  quarters,  between  two  im- 
mense elms,  he  had  suspended  a long  rope,  and  to 
the  end  of  it  attached  a small  cannon-ball.  On 
the  ground,  midway  between  these  trees,  was  a 
square  board  which  held  the  ten-pins.  The  game 
lay  in  throwing  the  ball  so  that  it  would  miss  the 
pins  in  going  out,  and  strike  them  in  coming  back. 
To  do  this  a peculiar  twist  had  to  be  given  to  the 
rope  by  bending  the  wrist,  and  it  seemed  impossi- 
ble to  avoid  hitting  the  pins  on  the  direct  throw. 
Three  ‘throws’  were  a game,  and  only  thirty 
‘strokes’  could  be  made.  Sheridan,  by  much 
practice,  had  become  an  expert  at  the  play,  and 
could  make  pretty  regularly  twenty  ‘strokes,’ but 
a novice  did  well  if  he  made  ten.  Sheridan  soon 
challenged  Rosecrans,  Garfield,  and  the  dozen 
officers  with  him  to  enter  the  lists — and  the  chal- 
lenger opened  the  play.  He  cleared  the  board 
twice,  and  missed  it  altogether  the  third  throw. 
‘Twenty,’  cried  the  scorer,  and  another  took  his 
place.  He  did  indifferently  well.  Others  fol- 
lowed with  more  or  less  success,  though  none 
came  up  to  Sheridan’s  score. 


JAMES  A . GARFIELD. 


205 


‘“Now  for  the  general,’  shouted  the  major, 
laughing,  as  Rosecrans  took  his  place.  ‘ He’ll 
score  thirty,  sure.’ 

“ ‘Don’t  laugh  until yott  win,  my  boy,’  answered 
the  general,  with  his  peculiar  smile. 

“Calculating  deliberately  the  motion  of  the  ball, 
he  let  it  go.  Every  pin  fell  on  the  direct  throw, 
and  a general  laugh  followed.  Not  at  all  dis- 
concerted, he  tried  again  and  again  until  he  had 
played  three  or  four  games  with  scarcely  better 
success.  Amid  the  mock  congratulations  of  the 
whole  assemblage  he  at  last  sat  down,  and  Gar- 
field entered  the  lists.  ‘It’s  nothing  but  mathe- 
matics/said Garfield, ‘you  only  need  an  eye  and 
a hand,’  and  carelessly  throwing  the  ball  he 
cleared  the  board  and  scored  twenty-three  f 

“‘You  can’t  do  that  again.’ 

“ ‘ I’ll  try,’  answered  the  modest  brigadier,  and 
he  did  do  it  several  times  in  succession.” 

Another  anecdote — and  one  that  well  illustrates 
the  instant  correctness  of  Garfield’s  reasoning  on 
subjects  of  the  most  vital  and  serious  importance — 
and  we  will  hurry  on  to  Chickamauga.  Toward  the 
close  of  May,  1863,  Rosecrans  received  a letter,  in 
which  the  scheme  for  a general  uprising  and  arm- 
ing of  the  blacks,  followed  by  attacks  on  the 
whites,  in  all  the  slave  States,  on  the  first  of  the 
following  August,  was  outlined.  The  support  of 
Rosecrans  was  asked  for  in  his  department,  and 
he  was  told  that  a similar  plan  had  been  sent  to  a 


20  6 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


Union  commander  in  each  department.  Rose- 
crans  deliberated  over  the  communication  and 
asked  a bystander  his  opinion. 

“ It  would  end  the  rebellion.  Co-operating  with 
our  forces,  it  would  certainly  succeed ; but  the 
South  would  run  with  blood.” 

“ Innocent  blood  ? Women  and  children  ?” 

“Yes;  women  and  children.  If  you  let  the 
blacks  loose,  they  will  rush  into  carnage  like 
horses  into  a burning  barn.  St.  Domingo  will  be 
multiplied  by  a million.” 

“ But  the  letter  says  that  no  blood  is  to  be  shed 
except  in  self-defense.” 

“It  says  so,  and  the  leaders  may  mean  so,  but 
they  cannot  restrain  the  rabble.  Every  slave  has 
some  real  or  fancied  wrong,  and  he  would  take 
such  a time  to  avenge  it.” 

“ I am  puzzled.  I must  go  and  talk  with  Gar- 
field. Come,  go  with  me.” 

They  crossed  the  street  to  Garfield’s  lodgings 
and  found  him  bolstered  up  in  bed,  quite  sick  of  a 
fever.  RDsecrans  sat  down  at  the  foot  of  the  bed 
and  handed  nim  the  letter.  Garfield  read  it  over 
carefully,  and  then  laying  it  down,  said : 

“ It  will  never  do,  general.  We  don’t  want  to 
whip  by  such  means.  If  the  slaves  of  their  own 
accord  rise  and  assert  their  original  right  to  them- 
selves, that  will  be  their  own  affair;  but  we  can 
have  no  complicity  with  them  without  outraging 
the  moral  sense  of  the  civilized  world.” 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


207 


“ I knew  you  would  say  so ; but  the  writer 
speaks  of  other  department  commanders.  May 
they  not  come  into  it  ?” 

“Yes,  they  may,  and  that  should  be  looked  to. 

Send  this  letter  to and  let  him  head  off  the 

movement.” 

The  insurrection,  as  every  one  knows,  did  not 
take  place,  save  in  some  unimportant  outbreaks 
in  Georgia  and  Alabama  in  the  following  Septem- 
ber. 


208 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OP 


CHAPTER  XVI, 


THE  BATTLE  OF  CHICKAMAUGA. 


HERE  now  sprang  up  renewed  differences 


between  General  Rosecrans  and  the  War 


Department.  In  the  general  policy  that 
controlled  the  movements  of  the  army  Garfield 
heartily  sympathized ; he  had,  in  fact,  given  shape 
to  that  policy.  But  he  deplored  his  chief’s  testy 
manner  of  conducting  his  defense  to  the  com- 
plaints  of  the  War  Department,  and  did  his  best 
to  soften  the  asperities  of  that  correspondence. 

September  was  now  nearly  come,  the  summer 
almost  gone,  and  the  coming  autumn  was  ripe  in 
its  promise  of  immediate  results.  The  air  was 
full  of  rumors  of  approaching  conflicts,  and  the 
North  waited  the  echo  from  the  battle-field. 

On  August  5th,  General  Halleck  telegraphed 
Rosecrans  peremptory  orders  to  move.  Rose- 
crans quietly  waited  till  the  dispositions  along  his 
extended  lines  were  completed,  till  stores  were 
accumulated  and  the  corn  had  ripened,  so  that  his 
horses  could  be  made  to  live  off  of  the  country. 
On  the  15th  he  was  ready. 

The  problem  now  before  him  was  to  cross  the 
Tennessee  River  and  gain  possession  of  Chatta- 
nooga, the  key  to  the  entire  mountain  ranges  of 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


20g 


East  Tennessee  and  Northern  Georgia,  in  the 
face  of  an  enemy  of  equal  strength,  whose  busi- 
ness it  was  to  oppose  him.  Two  courses  were 
open.  Forcing  a passage  over  the  river  above 
Chattanooga,  he  might  have  essayed  a direct  at- 
tack upon  the  town.  If  not  repulsed  in  the  dan- 
gerous preliminary  movements,  he  would  still 
have  had  upon  his  hands  a siege  not  less  formid- 
able than  that  of  Vicksburg,  with  difficulties  in- 
comparably greater  in  maintaining  his  supplies. 
But,  if  this  plan  was  not  adopted,  it  then  behooved 
him  to  convince  the  enemy  that  he  had  adopted 
it,  while  crossing  below  he  hastened  southward 
over  the  ruggedest  roads,  to  seize  the  mountain 
gaps,  whence  he  could  debouch  upon  the  enemy’s 
line  of  supplies.  More  briefly,  he  could  either 
attempt  to  fight  the  enemy  out  of  Chattanooga  or 
flank  him  out.  He  chose  the  latter  alternative. 

By  the  28th  the  singular  activity  of  the  National 
forces  along  a front  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles, 
had  blinded  and  bewildered  Bragg  as  to  his  an- 
tagonist’s  actual  intentions.  Four  brigades  sud- 

O cO 

denly  began  demonstrating  furiously  against  his 
lines  above  Chattanooga,  and  the  plan  was 
thought  to  be  revealed. 

Rosecrans  must  be  about  attempting  to  force  a 
passage  there,  and  straightway  a concentration  to 
oppose  him  was  ordered.  Meantime,  bridges,  se- 
cretly prepared,  were  hastily  thrown  across  thirty 
miles  further  down  the  river  at  different  points, 


210 


, LIFE  AXD  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


and,  before  Bragg  had  finished  preparing  to  resist 
a crossing  above,  Rosecrans,  handling  with  rare 
skill  his  various  corps  and  divisions,  had  securely 
planted  his  army  south  of  the  Tennessee;  and, 
cutting  completely  loose  from  his  base  of  supplies, 
was  already  pushing  southward — his  flank  next 
the  enemy  being  admirably  protected  by  impas- 
sable mountains. 

For  Bragg  but  one  thing  was  the  least  feasible. 
As  he  had  been  forced  out  of  Shelbyville,  out  of 
Wartrace,  out  ofTullahoma;  precisely  had  the 
same  stress  been  placed  upon  him  by  the  same 
hand  in  a still  stronger  position  ; and  in  all  haste 
he  evacuated  Chattanoogo,  leaving  it  to  the  near- 
est corps  of  Rosecrans’s  army  to  march  quietly 
in  and  take  possession.  The  very  ease  of  this 
occupation  proved  its  strongest  element  of  danger 
For  men,  seeing  the  objective  point  in  the  cam- 
paign in  their  hands,  forgot  the  columns  toiling 
through  the  mountains  away  to  the  southward; 
whose  presence  there  alone  compelled  the  rebel 
evacuation.  But  for  them,  the  isolated  troops  at 
Chattanooga  would  have  been  ovenvhelmed. 
Thenceforward  there  was  need  of  still  greater 
generalship  to  reunite  the  scattered  corps.  They 
could  not  return  by  the  way  they  had  gone,  for 
the  moment  they  began  such  a movement  Bragg, 
holding  the  shorter  line,  and  already  re-enforced 
by  Longstreet’s  veteran  corps  of  the  Army  of 
Northern  Virginia,  could  sweep  back  over  the 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


2 I I 


route  of  his  late  retreat.  Plainly,  they  must  pass 
through  the  gaps,  and  place  themselves  between 
Bragg  and  Chattanooga  before  the  stronghold 
• — beyond  a mere  tentative  possession — could  be 
within  their  grasp.  And  so  it  came  about  that  a 
battle — the  bloody  one  of  Chickamauga — was 
fought  to  enable  the  Federal  army  to  concentrate 
in  the  position  one  of  its  corps  had  already  occu- 
pied for  days  without  firing  a shot. 

Unfortunately,  the  concentration  wras  not  speedy 
enough.  Indeed,  there  are  some  plausible  reasons 
for  believing  that  Rosecrans  was,  perhaps  for  a 
few  days,  deceived  by  his  easy  success,  into  a be- 
lief that  Bragg  was  still  in  full  retreat.  Certainly 
the  general-in-chief  and  the  War  Department  did 
all  they  could  to  encourage  such  an  idea,  and 
even  after  Rosecrans,  every  nerve  tense  with 
the  struggle  to  concentrate  his  corps,  was  striving 
to  prepare  for  the  onset  of  the  re-enforced  rebel 
army,  General  Halleck  informed  him  of  reports 
that  Bragg’s  army  was  re-enforcing  Lee,  and  pleas- 
antly added,  that  after  he  had  occupied  Dalton  it 
would  be  decided  whether  he  should  move  still 
further  southward ! 

By  this  time,  Bragg  had  gathered  in  every 
available  re-enforcement,  Longstreet  from  the  east, 
Buckner  from  Knoxville,  Walker  from  the  army 
of  Joseph  E.  Johnston,  militia  from  Georgia  and. 
together  waiting  near  Lafayette,  hoped  to  receive 
the  isolated  corps  of  Rosecrans’s  army  as  they 


?I  2 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


debouched  through  the  gaps,  and  annihilate  them 
in  detail.  For  a day  or  two,  it  looked  as  if  he 
would  be  successful.  One  way  or  another,  how- 
ever, he  failed.  Rosecrans  gathered  together 
his  army,  repelling  whatever  assaults  sought  to 
hinder  the  concentration,  yielding  part  of  the  line 
of  the  Chickamauga,  and  marching  one  of  the 
corps  all  through  the  night  of  the  battle.  On 
September  19th,  Bragg  made  his  onset  with  cer- 
tainly not  less  than  seventy-five  thousand  men. 
Rosecrans  claimed  for  him  ninety-two  thousand. 
Rosecrans  had  fifty-five  thousand.  Of  the  battle, 
Whitelaw  Reid  gives  the  following  account : 

“Bragg’s  plan  was  to  turn  his  antagonist’s  left 
and  thus  clear  the  way  into  Chattanooga,  but  most 
unfortunately  for  Bragg,  the  left  was  held  by 
Geo.  H.  Thomas,  and  shortly  after  the  attack  be- 
gan, Rosecrans,  divining  the  danger,  strength- 
ened Thomas’s  corps  with  one  or  two  divisions. 
Disaster  overtook  us  at  first,  artillery  was  lost  and 
ground  yielded,  but  Thomas  reformed  and  ad- 
vanced his  lines,  regained  all  that  had  been  lost, 
sustained  every  shock  of  the  enemy,  and  at  night 
held  his  position  firmly. 

“Meanwhile  the  contest  on  other  parts  of  our 
line  had  been  less  severe,  and  had  ended  decidedly 
in  our  advantage.  But  it  was  seen  that  we  were 
outnumbered,  and  as  they  came  to  think  how  every 
brigade  in  the  whole  army,  two  only  excepted,  had 
been  drawn  into  the  fight — the  soldiers  began  to 
realize  the  dispiriting  nature  of  the  situation. 


JAMES  A.  GA  R / IE  LG. 


215 

“Through  the  night,  the  last  of  Longstreet’s 
corps  came  up,  led  by  himself  and  Bragg-,  pre- 
pared for  a vigorous  onset  on  the  National  left. 
Rosecrans  transferred  another  division  (Negley’s) 
to  Thomas,  and  placed  two  more  in  reserve  to  be 
hurried  to  Thomas’s  aid  if  needed.  At  daybreak, 
he  galloped  along  the  front  to  find  McCook’s  line 
ill-formed,  and  also  to  learn  that  Negley  had  not 
yet  been  forwarded  to  Thomas.  The  errors  were 
corrected  as  well  as  possible ; but  long  before 
Thomas’s  needed  re-enforcements  had  come,  the 
battle  was  radngf  on  his  front  and  flank.  Pro- 
foundly  conscious  of  the  danger,  Rosecrans  sought 
to  render  still  further  aid,  and  ordered  over  Van 
Cleve’s  division  from  the  right,  directing  the  sev- 
eral division  commanders  and  the  corps  general 
to  close  up  the  line  on  the  left.  In  die  heat  of  the 
battle,  which  by  this  time  was  broken  out  along 
the  right  also,  one  of  these  division  commanders — 
T.  J.  Wood,  of  Kentucky — misunderstood  his 
orders,  and  though  he  has  subsequently  stated 
that  he  knew  the  consequences  of  his  action  must 
be  fatal,  he  chose  to  consider  himself  bound  by 
the  order  to  break  the  line  of  battle  and  march  to 
die  rear  of  another  division.  Longstreet  per- 
ceived the  gap  and  hurled  Hood  into  it.  The 
battle  on  the  right  was  lost.  The  whole  wins- 
crumbled ; the  enemy  poured  forward  and  all  that 
was  left  of  McCook’s  corps,  a broken  rabble, 
streamed  back  to  Chattanooga. 


2 I 6 LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 

“General  Rosecrans,  himself,  was  caught  in  this 
rout  and  borne  along,  vainly  striving  to  stem  its 
tide.  Finally  conceiving  that  if  the  wing  least 
pressed  was  thus  destroyed,  Thomas,  upon  whom 
he  knew  the  main  efforts  of  the  enemy  were  con- 
centrated, could  not  hold  out  beyond  nightfall 
he  hastened  to  Chattanooga  to  make  dispositions 
for  the  retreat  and  defense  which  he  already  re- 
garded as  inevitable.  Meanwhile,  his  chief  of 
staff,  General  Garfield,  was  sent  to  Thomas,  to 
convey  to  him  information  of  what  had  happened 
and  of  the  plans  for  the  future.” 

As  chief  of  staff,  it  was  Garfield’s  duty  to  remain 
with  General  Rosecrans,  and  it  happened  that  the 
latter  established  his  head-quarters  for  the  day  in 
the  rear  of  the  right  wing  and  centre,  leaving  to 
General  George  H.  Thomas  the  duty  of  directing 
the  fortunes  of  the  left  wing.  McCook  and  Crit- 
tenden, it  will  be  remembered,  were  commanders 
of  the  other  two  corps.  Shortly  after  the  fog, 
which  for  the  most  of  the  morning  enveloped 
the  field,  and  made  manoeuvring  almost  impos- 
sible, the  rebels,  under  Longstreet,  who  had 
come  from  Lee’s  Virginia  army  to  take  part  in  the 
great  contest,  made  a grand  assault  on  the  right 
and  centre.  They  were  just  in  time  to  take  ad- 
vantage of  W ood’s  fatal  mistake,  which  left  a gap 
in  the  Union  line.  The  rebels  penetrated  far  to 
the  rear  of  the  Federal  line  at  this  point,  and  turn- 
ing, drove  back  the  right  of  Thomas’s  forces  and 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


2ig 


the  left  of  the  other  two  corps.  The  latter  were 
eventually  routed,  driven  across  the  ridge  of  hills 
to  roads  leading  to  Chattanooga,  toward  which 
they  retreated  in  dreadful  disorder  and  panic.  In 
the  tumult  of  defeat  of  the  centre  and  right,  Mc- 
Cook, Crittenden  and  Rosecrans,  with  their  staff 
officers,  were  driven  beyond  the  ridge  named,  and 
they,  too,  started  for  Chattanooga,  not  knowing 
whether  Thomas  had  been  annihilated  or  had 
escaped. 

Garfield  followed  his  commander  about  half  way 
to  Chattanooga.  Riding  up  to  Rosecrans,  he  said, 
“General,  I ask  permission  to  return  and  join 
General  Thomas.”  Some  slight  remonstrance 
was  made,  but  Garfield  persevered  in  his  desire, 
and  obtained  permission.  Captain  William  B. 
Gaw,  of  the  engineers,  upon  this  offered  to  act  as 
guide,  knowing  the  country  thoroughly,  and  shar- 
ing the  general’s  wish  to  be  where  there  was  dan- 
ger. Accompanied  by  Gaw  and  his  orderly,  Gar- 
field set  out  on  his  now  famous  ride.  Striking 
through  the  Rossville  Gap,  in  the  mountain  range, 
he  rapidly  pushed  southward  in  search  of  General 
Thomas,  the  firing  of  whose  guns,  indicating  that 
the  Union  troops  were  by  no  means  in  retreat, 
could  be  plainly  heard.  The  sounds  borne  on  the 
peaceful  breeze  were  as  fire  to  the  heels  of  Gar- 
field’s horse,  and  on  he  dashed,  his  whole  energy 
bent  upon  reaching  the  scene  of  action.  For  his 
was  the  true  soldier’s  spirit ; his  the  true  soldier’s 
13 


220 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


creed,  Napoleon’s  advice  to  his  generals:  “March 
in  the  direction  of  the  heaviest  firinQf.” 

At  the  time  he  made  this  attempt  the  road  by 
which  Garfield  expected  to  reach  General  Thomas 
was  under  cover  by  sharp-shooters  and  the  ad- 
vance guards  of  the  rebels,  who  were  pushing 
forward  to  secure  possession  of  the  road,  and 
thereby  cut  off  Thomas’s  line  of  retreat.  Garfield 
did  not  know  of  their  presence  there  until  admon- 
ished of  it  by  the  pattering  of  their  too  lively  bul- 
lets. Garfield’s  horse  and  that  of  his  guide,  Cap- 
tain Gaw,  were  shot  at  the  first  discharge,  and 
Garfield’s  orderly  was  wounded,  though  not  se- 
riously. They  were  compelled  to  abandon  the 
road,  and  take  to  the  fields  and  the  mountain-side, 
where  Gaw’s  familiarity  with  the  topography  of 
the  country  came  into  play.  Intrusting  himself 
implicitly  to  Gaw,  Garfield  was  eventually,  after 
repeated  avoidance  of  danger,  brought  in  safety  to 
General  Thomas’s  side. 

The  “Rock  of  Chickamauga”  was  reached  just 
after  the  repulse  of  the  enemy  in  a formidable  as- 
sault all  along  Thomas’s  line,  which  the  rebels  en- 
veloped on  both  flanks.  He  found  Thomas  and 
his  staff,  General  Gordon  Granger,  General  J.  B. 
Steedman,  General  Wood,  and  others,  grouped  in 
a hollow  of  the  open  field,  a depression  just  suffi- 
cient to  protect  them  from  the  direct  rebel  fire. 

Garfield  at  once  gfave  Thomas  a brief  account 
of  the  disaster  to  the  right  and  centre.  Thomas, 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


221 


in  return,  stated  his  own  intention  and  his  situa- 
tion. The  conversation,  however,  was  not  finished, 
it  was  cut  short  by  a fresh  rebel  assault.  It  wras 
made  in  great  force  and  with  great  desperation, 
the  rebels  evidently  foreseeing,  that  if  repulsed, 
they  could  not  get  their  troops  in  position  for  yet 
another  assault  before  the  sun  went  down  and 
darkness  came  to  the  aid  of  the  enemy.  The  fire 
lasted  furiously  for  half  an  hour,  when  the  rebels 
again  broke  and  abandoned  the  assault.  During 
this  desperate  melee  Garfield  quietly  sat  on  the 
ground  behind  a dead  tree,  and  coolly  indited  a 
dispatch  to  General  Rosecrans  detailing  the  situa- 
tion ; and  while  he  sat  there,  and  during  the 
heaviest  of  the  firing,  a white  dove,  after  hovering 
around  and  above  for  several  minutes,  finally  set- 
tled on  the  topmost  perch  of  the  tree  above  Gar- 
field’s head.  Here  it  remained  during  the  heat  of 
the  fight,  and  when  the  musketry  ceased,  it  flew 
away  to  the  north.  The  attention  of  Garfield  and 
General  Wood  was  called  to  the  bird.  Garfield 
said  nothing,  ,but  went  on  writing.  Wood  re- 
marked: “Good  omen  of  peace.”  Garfield  fin- 
ished his  dispatch,  sent  it  by  an  officer,  and  himself' 
’ remained  on  the  field  with  General  Thomas  until 
the  retreat  was  effected  the  same  night  to  Chatta- 
nooga.  At  seven  o’clock  that  evening  a shotted 
salute  of  six  Napoleon  guns  fired  into  the  woods, 
after  the  last  of  the  retreating  assailants,  under 
die  personal  supervison  of  General  Gordon  Gran- 


222 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


ger  and  General  Garfield,  were  the  last  shots  fired 
in  the  battle  of  Chickamauga.  What  was  left  ol 
the  Union  army  was  master  of  the  field.  For  the 
time  the  enemy  evidently  regarded  himself  as  re-; 
pulsed,  and  Garfield  said  that  night,  and  has  alway^ 
since  maintained,  that  there  was  no  necessity  for 
an  immediate  retreat  on  Rossville. 

This  was  Garfield’s  last  military  service  of  mo- 
ment. He  wrote  every  order  that  day  but  one — 
that  one  was  the  fatal  order  to  General  Wood, 
which,  displacing  his  brigade,  enabled  Hood  to 
break  through  and  turn  the  Union  flank.  That 
order  Rosecrans  wrote  himself.  But  after  Wood 
had  been  moved,  and  after  Davis  had  been  shat- 
tered and  beaten  back,  when  the  whole  right  wing, 
mad  with  panic,  surged  back  through  the  gaps, 
Garfield  came  upon  the  field,  showing  clearly  that 
communication  could  be  established  between  the 
reserve  and  Thomas,  who  still  stood  as  steadfast 
as  the  spur  of  Mission  Ridge,  that  loomed  behind 
him.  Through  him  the  reserves  were  pushed  to 
the  left  of  Thomas,  enabling  him  to  hold  Polk  and 
Longstreet  at  bay  during  that  long,  sad  afternoon 
of  shock  and  repulse.  And  it  should  never  be  for- 
gotten, in  Garfield’s  praise,  that  it  was  on  his  own 
earnest  representations  that  he  procured  permis- 
sion— by  half  refusing  to  further  retreat — to  go  to 
Thomas,  and  so  back  into  battle.  He  refused  to 
believe  that  Thomas  was  routed  or  the  battle  lost. 

General  Wood,  in  his  official  report  of  Chicka* 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


225 

mauga,  said  of  General  Garfield’s  action  on  that' 
day  of  disaster : 

“It  affords  me  much  pleasure  to  signalize  the 
presence  with  my  command,  for  a length  of  time 
during  the  afternoon  (present  during  the  period 
of  hottest  fighting),  of  another  distinguished  of- 
ficer, Brigadier-General  James  A.  Garfield,  chief 
of  the  staff.  After  the  disastrous  rout  on  the 
right,  General  Garfield  made  his  way  back  to  the 
battle-field  (showing  clearly  that  the  road  was  open 
to  all  who  might  choose  to  follow  it),  and  came  to 
where  my  command  was  engaged.  The  brigade 
which  made  so  determined  a resistance  on  the 
crest  of  the  narrow  ridge  during  all  the  long  Sep- 
tember afternoon,  had  been  commanded  by  Gen- 
eral Garfield  when  he  belonged  to  my  division. 
The  men  remarked  his  presence  with  much  satis- 
faction, and  were  delighted  that  he  was  a witness 
of  the  splendid  fighting  they  were  doing. 

Rosecrans,  in  his  official  report,  added  his 
measure  of  praise 

“To  "Brigadier-General  James  A.  Garfield,  chief 
of  staff,  I am  especially  indebted  for  the  clear  and 
ready  manner  in  which  he  seized  the  points  of  ac- 
tion and  movement,  and  expressed  in  orders  the 
ideas  of  the  general  commanding.” 

On  an  afternoon  not  long  afterward — the  army 
was  then  at  Chattanooga — Garfield  approached  his 
commander,  Rosecrans,  and  said  to  him:  “Gen- 
eral, I have  been  asked  to  accept  the  Republican 


226 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


nomination  for  Congress  from  the  Ashtabula  dis- 
trict. What  ought  I to  do?  What  is  your  advice? 
Ought  I to  accept?  Can  I do  so  honorably?” 

“I  am  glad,  for  your  sake,”  returned  Rosecrans, 
“that  you  have  a new  distinction,  and  I certainly 
think  you  can  accept  with  honor,  and,  what  is 
more,  I deem  it  your  duty  to  do  so.  The  war  is 
not  over  yet,  nor  will  it  be  for  some  time  to  come. 
There  will  be,  of  necessity,  many  questions  aris- 
ing in  Congress  which  will  require  not  alone 
statesmanlike  treatment,  but  the  advice  of  men 
having  an  acquaintance  with  military  affairs.  For 
this,  and  other  reasons,  I believe  you  will  be  able 
to  do  equally  good  service  to  your  country  in  Con- 
gress as  in  the  field.  Now,  let  me  give  you  a 
piece  of  advice.  When  you  go  to  Congress,  be 
careful  what  you  say.  Don’t  talk  too  much,  but 
when  you  do  talk  speak  to  the  point.  Be  true  to 
yourself,  and  you  will  make  your  mark  before  the 
country.” 

After  a week  or  two  further  service,  he  was  sent 
as  bearer  of  dispatches  to  Washington.  He  there 
learned  of  his  promotion  to  a major-generalship  of 
volunteers  “for  gallant  and  meritorious  conduct  at 
the  battle  of  Chickamauga.”  He  might  have  re- 
tained this  position  in  the  army,  and  the  military 
capacity  he  had  displayed,  the  high  favor  in  which 
he  was  held  by  the  Government,  and  the  certainty 
of  assignment  to  important  commands  seemed  to 
augur  a brilliant  future.  He  was  a poor  man,  too, 


Block-House  at  Chattanooga 


Head-quarters  of  Thomas. 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


229 


and  the  major-general’s  salary  was  more  than 
double  that  of  the  congressman.  But,  on  mature 
reflection,  he  decided  that  the  circumstances  under 
which  the  people  had  elected  him  to  Congress, 
bound  him  to  an  effort  to  obey  their  wishes.  He 
was,  furthermore,  urged  to  enter  Congress  by  the 
officers  of  the  army,  who  looked  to  him  for  aid  in 
procuring  such  military  legislation  as  the  country 
and  the  army  required.  Under  the  belief  that  the 
path  of  usefulness  to  the  country  lay  in  the  direction 
in  which  his  constituents  pointed,  he  sacrificed  what 
seemed  to  be  his  personal  interests  and,  on  the 
5th  of  December,  1863,  resigned  his  commission, 
after  nearly  three  years  of  service. 

He  left  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland,  followed 
by  the  regrets  and  good  wishes  of  every  man  in 
it — for  each  was  his  friend — and  he  laid  down  his 
unstained  sword,  to  enter  an  arena  where  he  has 
won  a prouder  fame,  a soldier  of  few  but  shining 
laurels.  A distinguished  military  critic  thus  sums 
up  his  soldierly  achievements : 

“ He  proved  himself  a good,  independent  com- 
mander in  the  small,  but  important  operations  in 
the  Sandy  Valley.  His -campaign  there  opened 
our  series  of  successes  in  the  West,  and,  though 
fought  against  superior  forces,  began  with  us  the 
habit  of  victory.  After  that  he  was  only  a subor- 
dinate. But  he  always  enjoyed  the  confidence  of 
his  immediate  superiors  and  of  the  department. 
As  chief  of  staff,  he  was  unrivaled.  There,  as 


2 30 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


elsewhere,  he  was  ready  to  accept  the  gravest  re- 
sponsibilities  in  following  his  convictions.  The 
bent  of  his  mind  was  aggressive;  his  judgment  in 
military  matters  was  always  good;  his  papers  on 
''the  Tullahoma  campaign  will  stand  a monument 
of  his  courage  and  his  far-reaching  soldierly  saga- 
city; and  his  conduct  at  Chickamauga  will  never 
be  forgotten  by  a nation  of  brave  men.” 

In  following  Garfield’s  career  upon  the  field 
of  battle,  we  have  Steadily  pursued  the  thread 
of  the  direct  story,  rather  than  turn  aside  to 
garner  here  and  there  a flower  of  incident,  or  to 
gather  a blossom  growing  beside  the  smoking 
cannon’s  mouth.  There  were  many  such  scat- 
tered about  the  path  he  trod  with  such  earnest 
feet.  And  we  may,  therefore,  with  entire  rele- 
vance and  appreciable  purpose,  devote  a page 
to  the  humors  of  conflict,  as  Garfield  found,  ab- 
sorbed and  generated  them. 

No  man  has  a keener  sense  of  justice  than 
General  Garfield.  One  day,  a fugitive  slave  came 
rushing  into  the  camp,  with  a bloody  head  and  ap- 
parently frightened  almost  to  death.  He  had 
only  passed  my  tent,  says  a staff  officer  of  General 
Sherman,  when,  in  a moment,  a regular  bully  of  a 
fellow  came  riding  up  and,  with  a volley  of  oaths, 
began  to  ask  after  his  “ nigger.” 

General  Garfield  was  not  present,  and  he 
passed  on  to  the  division  commander,  who  hap- 
pened to  be  a sympathizer  with  the  theory  that 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


23I 


fugitives  should  be  returned  to  their  masters,  and 
that  the  Union  soldiers  should  be  made  instru- 
ments for  returning  them.  He  accordingly  wrote 
a mandatory  order  to  General  Garfield,  in  whose 
..command  the  darkey  was  supposed  to  be  hiding, 
telling  him  to  hunt  up  and  deliver  over  the  prop- 
erty of  the  outraged  citizen. 

The  staff  officer  who  brought  the  order  stated 
the  case  fully  to  General  Garfield  before  handing 
him  the  order,  well  knowing  the  general’s  strong 
anti-slavery  views.  The  general  took  the  order 
and,  after  reading  it  carefully,  deliberately  wrote 
on  it  the  following  indorsement: 

“I  respectfully  but  positively  decline  to  allow 
my  command  to  search  for,  or  deliver  up  any 
fugitive  slaves.  I conceive  that  they  are  here  for 
quite  another  purpose.  The  command  is  open 
and  no  obstacle  will  be  placed  in  the  way  of  the 
search.” 

When  the  staff  officer  read  the  general’s  in- 
dorsement he  was  inclined  to  be  frightened,  and 
remonstrated  against  Garfield’s  determination. 
He  said  if  he  returned  the  order  in  that  shape 
to  the  division  commander  he  certainly  would 
arrest  and  court-martial  the  writer.  To  this  the 
Ohio  general  simply  replied: 

“The  matter  may  as  well  be  tested  first  as  last- 
Right  is  right,  and  I do  not  propose  to  mince 
matters  at  all.  My  soldiers  are  here  for  far  other 
purposes  than  hunting  and  returning  fugitive 
slaves.” 


232 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


The  staff  officer  returned  to  the  division 
commander  and  communicated  Garfield’s  indorse- 
ment and  resolve.  The  division  commander  was 
highly  incensed,  and  at  once  sent  for  Garfield,  whom 
he  attempted  to  bull-doze  into  abandoning  his 
position.  The  Ohio  abolitionist  was,  however,  not 
the  man  for  the  operation,  and  in  return  the  divi- 
sion commander  was  obliged  to  listen  to  such  a 
lecture  as  made  him  think  possibly  that  he  was  in 
the  wrong.  At  all  events  no  court-martial  was 
convened  to  try  the  general  who  had  so  fla- 
grantly refused  to  obey  orders,  and  thereafter  the 
division  commander  refrained  from  issuing  orders 
on  the  subject  of  slavery. 

General  Garesche,  Rosecrans’s  chief  of  staff  be- 
fore Garfield,  was  killed  the  first  day  of  the 
fight  at  Murfreesboro.  A solid  shot  took  his  head 
off.  “Old  Rosey,”  as  he  was  familiarly  called,  who 
was  at  Garesche’s  side  when  the  fatal  shot  struck 
him,  glanced  at  the  headless  body  of  his  faithful 
officer  and  exclaimed  “poor  fellow!  poor  fellow!” 
Then  he  called  out,  “scatter,  gentlemen,  scatter!” 
The  order  was  obeyed  by  staff  and  orderlies  with 
more  than  alacrity,  as  the  enemy  had  the  staff  in 
blank  range  of  a well-manned  battery  and  the  shot 
were  flying  thick  and  fast  without  any  respect  to 
persons.  “A  few  days  after,”  says  Thomas 
Dougherty,  “ I do  not  remember  how  many,  when 
we  had  got  into  quarters  at  Murfreesboro,  Gen- 
eral Garfield  joined  us  to  take  the  dead  man’s 


The  Nation's  Capitol. 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


235 

place  as  chief  of  staff.  The  boys  were  delighted  and 
thought  him  a perfect  success.  As  an  illustration 
of  his  kindness  of  heart,  a virtue  not  practiced 
often  by  army  officers  in  the  field,  they  delighted  to 
relate  the  following  story  as  told  by  a sergeant  in 
Rosecrans’s  army. 

“ One  night,  very  late,  the  boys  were  rolled  in 
their  blankets  on  the  hall  floor  asleep,  and  I was 
at  my  post,  sitting  on  a chair  at  the  door  of  the  tent 
of  the  general  commanding,  awaiting  orders  to  be 
taken  to  their  destination  by  the  then  sleeping  men. 
The  light  was  but  a tallow  candle,  stuck  in  a sar- 
dine-box. I,  with  chair  tilted  against  the  wall,  had 
fallen  asleep,  when  General  Garfield,  the  new 
chief  of  staff,  emerged  from  the  head-quarter 
room  with  quick  step.  Not  noticing  my  extended 
limbs,  he  tripped  over  them  and  dropped  on  his 
hands  and  knees  on  the  floor.  He  was  no  light 
weight,  and  even  then  the  fall  was  not  easy.  Af- 
frighted, I started  from  my  sleep,  sprang  to  my 
feet  and,  as  the  general  arose,  saluted.  I ex- 
pected nothing  else  than  to  be  cursed,  and  proba- 
bly kicked  and  cuffed,  too,  from  one  end  of  the 
hall  to  the  other.  To  my  astonishment,  the  tall 
general  said,  kindly  and  quietly : ‘ Excuse  me,  ser- 
geant, I did  not  see  you.’  I not  only  excused  him, 
but  with  my  comrades,  to  whom  the  incident  was 
related,  we  all  learned  to  revere  and  respect  the 
kindly-hearted  man  who  had  come  to  us  as  chief 
of  staff.” 


236 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OP 


George  0.  Gardener  relates  a storv  that  is 
apropos  to  end  our  chapter: 

“After  the  great  and  sanguinary  battle  of  Chickamauga,  I 
was  bound  North  on  a twenty  days’  furlough.  At  Louisville 
I met  Generals  Garfield  and  Steedman.  Garfield  was  going 
to  Congress,  and  Steedman  North  on  business.  We  happened 
to  go  down  to  the  ferryboat  in  the  same  ’bus,  on  top  of  which 
were  Garfield’s  and  Steedman’s  negro  servants.  It  appears 
that,  owing  to  the  fact  that  the  emancipation  proclamation 
was  not  general,  and  did  not  at  that  time  apiply  to  Kentucky, 
that  State’s  Legislature  had  taken  advantage  of  it  and  passed 
laws  regarding  the  kidnapping  and ’confiscating  of  every  stray 
negro  the  gangs  of  civil  officers  and  citizens  could  lay  their 
hands  upon.  Officers  with  posses  were  stationed  at  the  levees, 
instructed  and  authorized  to  seize  all  negroes  attempting  to 
cross  the  river  on  the  boats,  no  matter  where  they  were  from. 
When  we  went  on  the  boat  we  were  all  in  ignorance  of  this 
State  law,  and  of  the  fact  that  a strong  force  of  men  were  on 
the  boat  for  the  purpose  of  seizing  any  unlucky  darkey  who 
might  be  going  North  with  the  Union  officers.  My  attention 
was  first  called  to  the  fact  by  hearing  General  Garfield  ask  a 
pompous-looking  man:  ‘What  do  you  want  with  that  boy?’ 

“I  looked  out  of  the  ’bus  window  and  noticed  that  the  man, 
in  company  with  others,  was  ordering  the  two  boys  to  get 
down  from  the  ’bus  and  go  ashore  with  them.  The  man,  who 
claimed  to  be  the  sheriff,  said  the  boys  could  not  go  across 
the  river;  that  he  should  take  possession  of  them,  etc.,  and 
proceeded  to  force  them  off  the  boat.  At  this,  Garfield  and 
Steedman  jumped  out  of  the  ’bus.  Garfield  was  mad ; he  told 
these  insolent  men  that  he  had  been  fighting  rebels  in  the  field 
for  two  years,  that  he  would  now  do  some  fighting  on  the 
water,  and  that  if  they  did  not  leave  the  boat  at  once  they 
would  get  hurt.  He  stood  between  the  negroes  and  the 
officers,  and  shook  his  fist  in  their  faces,  and  dared  them  to 
touch  the  black  boys  who  had  so  faithfully  stood  by  him  in 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


237 


the  camp  and  on  the  battle-grounds  of  Stone  River  and 
Chickamauga.  General  Steedman  was  mad ; he  pulled  off 
his  coat  and  marched  into  the  crowd,  saying  he  could  fight 
such  a white-livered  set  of  rascals  with  good  relish;  Chicka- 
mauga had  had  no  terrors  for  him,  neither  had  kidnappers. 

“It  was  an  exciting  time  for  them.  While  Garfield  and 
Steedman  were  getting  the  negroes  away  from  the  sheriff  and 
his  deputies,  us  fellows  in  the  ’bus  were  getting  our  revolvers 
out  of  our  valises,  and  we  soon  were  out  and  forming  a line 
of  battle,  one  deep  and  far  apart,  in  the  rear  of  Garfield  and 
Steedman.  The  sheriff  finally  exhibited  a disposition  to  take 
the  negroes  at  any  risk.  Garfield,  followed  by  us  blue -coats, 
moved  on  the  enemy  in  force.  They  retreated  ‘ right  smart  ’ 
to  the  shore.  The  sheriff,  from  his  safe  place  on  the  shore, 
ordered  the  captain  of  the  boat  not  to  move  the  boat  with  the 
negroes  on  board.  The  captain  then  came  to  Garfield,  and 
told  him  that  he,  the  captain,  could  not  take  the  boys  across 
the  river  without  incurring  a heavy  fine,  and  therefore  would 
not  move  the  boat.  General  Garfield  said  he  would  relieve 
him  of  responsibility,  so  he  announced  he  would  pilot  the 
boat  across  if  some  one  would  volunteer  to  run  the  engine. 
Upon  several  of  the  soldiers  agreeing  to  do  it,  the  captain 
caved  and  ordered  the  boat  untied,  saying  he  would  take  the 
crowd  across,  and  stop  the  ’tarnal  fuss.  The  boat  started  and 
the  row  ended.” 


' • V 


. ' .V‘  - 


GARFIELD  AS  A STATESMAN. 


Statesmanship  consists  rather  in  removing  causes  than  in 
punishing  or  evading  results. 


Garfield's  Speech  on  the  Ninth  Census. 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD . 


24I 


CHAPTER  XVII, 


HE  APPEARS  IN  CONGRESS, 


ENERAL  GARFIELD  entered,  on  re- 


signing from  the  army,  a wider  field  of 


usefulness  than  that  permitted  him  at  the 
front.  But  he  still  remained  one  of  the  nation’s 
defenders.  His  election  to  Congress  was  the  re- 
sult of  a popular  idea  in  the  North  during  the 
summer  of  1862 — that  the  war  would  end  in  a few 
months,  or  be  over  at  least  by  Christmas.  Be- 
lieving this,  it  was  but  rational  that  the  people 
should  take  up,  for  the  purpose  of  rewarding  them 
with  Congressional  honors,  those  who  had  won 
distinction  in  arms.  Garfield  was  one  of  the 
number. 

The  Congressional  district  in  which  he  lived  is 
generally  called  the  Ashtabula  district,  and  has 
been  more  faithful  to  its  representatives  than  any 
of  those  of  the  North — having  had  but  four  in 
half  a century.  It  now  consists  of  the  counties  of 
Ashtabula,  Lake,  Granger, Trumbull  and  Mahoney. 
The  County  of  Portage,  which  was  a part  of  it 
when  Garfield  was  first  elected,  was  detached  a 
year  ago.  The  district  is  the  Nineteenth,  and  is 
situated  in  the  Western  Reserve — the  New  Eng- 


242 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


land  of  the  North-west — in  North-east  Ohio.  It 
was  originally  settled  by  New  Englanders,  and  its 
population  has  the  thrift,  the  keen  intelligence,  the 
habits  of  local  self-government,  the  political  in- 
stincts, and  the  morals  of  New  England.  There 
is  no  population  of  equal  numbers  on  the  long 
line  reaching  from  New  York  to  Chicago,  that 
writes  so  many  letters  and  receives  through  the 
mails  so  much  readinq-  matter.  There  is  less  illit- 
eracy  in  proportion  to  the  population,  than  in  any 
other  district  in  the  United  States.  The  district  is 
essentially  a rural  one,  with  the  exception  of  some 
iron-working  portions  in  the  southern  end.  It  is 
the  eastern  portion  of  the  Reserve.  It  early  be- 
came deeply  interested  in  the  anti-slavery  move- 
ment, and  this  greatly  quickened  the  interest  of 
its  people  in  public  affairs.  It  is  this  intelligent 
interest  in  national  welfare  that  has  made  the 
district  accessible  to  General  Garfield’s  earnest, 
straight-forward  exposition  of  solid  political  doc- 
trines, to  his  high  bearing,  to  the  impact  of  his 
mental  and  moral  power  upon  intelligent  and 
honest  minds,  rather  than  by  any  managing  or 
demagogic  measures. 

This  district  was  the  same  that  was  long  made 
famous  by  Joshua  R.  Giddings,  the  anti-slavery 
champion.  Grown  careless  of  the  arts  of  politics 
toward  the  end  of  his  career,  he  came  to  look 
upon  a nomination  and  re-election  as  a matter  of 
course.  His  over-confidence  was  taken  aclvan- 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


243 


tage  of  by  an  ambitious  lawyer  named  Hutchins, 
to  carry  the  convention  of  1S58  against  him.  The 
friends  of  Giddings  never  forgave  Hutchins,  and 
cast  about  for  a means  of  defeating  him.  The 
old  man,  himself,  was  comfortably  quartered  in  his 
consulate  at  Montreal,  and  did  not  care  to  make 
fight  to  get  back  to  Congress.  So,  his  supporters 
made  use  of  the  popularity  of  General  Garfield, 
and  nominated  him  while  he  was  with  his  brigade. 
He  had  no  knowledge  of  any  such  movement  in 
his  behalf,  and  when  he  accepted  the  nomination 
he  did  so  in  the  belief  that  the  war  would  be  over 
before  he  would  be  called  upon  to  take  his  seat. 
He  was  elected  by  a large  majority.  He  con- 
tinued his  military  service  up  to  the  day  Congress 
met.  Even  then  he  seriously  thought  of  resign- 
ing his  position  as  a representative,  rather  than  his 
major-general’s  commission,  and  would  have  done 
so  had  there  been  any  prospect  of  active  opera- 
tions during  the  winter  months.  He  has  often 
expressed  regret  that  he  did  not  fight  the  war  to 
the  end.  Had  he  done  so  he  would,  doubtless, 
have  ranked  at  its  close  among  the  foremost  of 
the  victorious  generals  of  the  Republic. 

In  the  great  arena  he  entered  in  December, 
1863,  he  has  ever  since  remained — seventeen 
years.  Only  one  member  of  that  body  antedates 
him — Judge  Kelley.  All  this  time  he  has  been  an 
active  participant  in  the  events  that  have  tran- 
spired in  Congress,  and  he  has  left  the  imprint  of 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF  ^ 


2 44 

his  ability  and  patriotism  as  thoroughly  upon  the 
legislation  of  the  country  as  any  one  man  now  in 
public  service.  He  certainly  realizes  the  meaning 
of  the  title,  “a  public  benefactor.”  We  will  de- 
fine that  in  his  own  words,  from  a speech  made  on 
December  ioth,  1878: 

“ The  man  who  wants  to  serve  his  country  must  put  him- 
self in  the  line  of  its  leading  thought,  and  that  is  the  restora- 
tion of  business,  trade,  commerce,  industry,  sound  political 
economy,  hard  money  and  the  payment  of  all  obligations, 
and  the  man  who  can  add  anything  in  the  direction  of  ac- 
complishing any  of  these  purposes  is  a public  benefactor.” 

No  man  with  the  ideals  of  Garfield  could  fail 
to  at  once  take  high  rank  even  in  such  an  illustri- 
ous assemblage.  Nor  did  Garfield  fail  to  do  so. 
At  the  outset  he  was  recognized  as  a leader,  and 
his  influence  grew  with  his  service.  He  was  ap- 
pointed on  the  military  committee,  under  the 
chairmanship  of  General  Schenck,  the  colleague- 
ship  of  Farnsworth,  both  fresh  from  the  field,  and 
was  of  great  service — just  as  Rosecrans  antici- 
pated he  would  be — in  carrying  through  the 
measures  that  served  to  recruit  the  armies  during 
the  closing  months  of  the  war.  His  activity,  in- 
dustry and  thorough  knowledge  of  the  wants  of( 
the  army,  were  of  the  first  value  in  all  legislation 
pertaining  to  military  matters.  He  was  appointed 
chairman  of  a select  committee  of  seven,  ap- 
pointed to  investigate  the  alleged  frauds  in  the 
money-printing  bureau  of  the  Treasury.  He  soon 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


245 

became  known  as  a powerful  speaker,  remarkably 
ready  and  always  effective  in  debate. 

His  first  speech  of  any  length,  on  January  28th, 
1864,  gave  ample  promise  in  the  bud  of  the 
flowers  of  powerful  oratory  so  soon  to  bloom.  It 
was  a reply  to  his  Democratic  colleague,  Mr. 
Finck,  and  was  in  favor  of  the  confiscation  of 
rebel  property.  We  quote  from  its  brilliant  pas- 
sages ; 

o 


“The  war  was  announced  by  proclamation,  and  it  must 
end  by  proclamation.  We  can  hold  the  insurgent  States  in 
military  subjection  half  a century- — if  need  be,  until  they  are 
purged  of  their  poison  and  stand  up  clean  before  the  country. 
They  must  come  back  with  clean  hands,  if  they  come  at  all. 
I hope  to  see  in  all  those  States  the  men  who  fought  and 
suffered  for  the  truth,  tilling  the  fields  on  which  they  pitched 
their  tents.  I hope  to  see  them,  like  old  Kasper  of  Blenheim, 
on  the  summer  evenings,  with  their  children  upon  their  knees, 
and  pointing  out  the  spot  where  brave  men  fell  and  marble 
commemorates  it. 

:K  * * 4f  * * # 

“I  deprecate  these  apparently  partisan  remarks ; it  hurts  me 
to  make  them,  but  it  hurts  me  more  to  know  they  are  true.  I 
conclude  by  returning  once  more  to  the  resolution  before 
me.  Let  no  weak  sentiments  of  misplaced  sympathy  deter  us 
from  inaugurating  a measure  which  will  cleanse  our  nation 
and  make  it  the  fit  home  of  freedom  and  a glorious  manhood. 
Let  us  not  despise  the  severe  wisdom  of  our  Revolutionary 
fathers,  when  they  served  their  generation  in  a similar  way. 
Let  the  republic  drive  from  its  soil  the  traitors  that  have  con- 
spired against  its  life,  as  God  and  His  angels  drove  Satan  and 
his  host  from  Heaven.  He  was  not  too  merciful  to  be  just, 
and  to  hurl  down  in  chains  and  everlasting  darkness  the 


LIFE  AATD  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


?4  6 

‘traitor  angel’  who  ‘first  broke  peace  in  Heaven,’  and 
rebeled  against  Him.” 

Soon  after  he  spoke  in  favor  of  the  payment  of 
prompt  and  liberal  bounties  by  the  Federal  Gov- 
ernment to  encourage  enlistments,  and  rapidly 
'earned  Congressional  reputation. 

This  readiness  at  trenchant  debating  proved,  in 
some  respects,  injurious  to  his  rising  fame.  He 
spoke  so  readily  that  members  were  constantly 
asking  his  services- in  behalf  of  favorite  measures, 
and  in  the  impulsive  eagerness  of  a young  man 
and  a young  member,  he  often  consented.  He 
thus  came  to  be  too  frequent  a speaker,  and  the 
blouse  wearied  a little  of  his  polished  periods,  and 
began  to  think  him  too  fond  of  talking.  His  su- 
perior  knowledge,  too,  used  to  offend  some  of  his 
less  learned  colleagues  at  first.  They  thought 
him  bookish  and  pedantic,  until  they  found  how 
solid  and  useful  was  his  store  of  knowledge,  and 
how  pertinent  to  the  business  in  hand  were  the 
drafts  he  made  upon  it.  But  this  in  time  wore  off. 
His  genial  personal  ways  soon  made  him  many 
warm  friends,  and  reaction  set  in.  The  men  of 
brains  in  both  houses,  and  in  the  departments, 
were  not  long  in  discovering  that  here  was  a fresh, 
strong,  intellectual  force  that  was  destined  to 
make  its  mark  upon  the  politics  of  the  country. 
They  sought  his  acquaintance,  and  before  he  had 
been  long  in  Washington,  he  had  the  advantage 
of  the  best  society  in  the  capital. 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


247 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 


THE  LADDER.  OF  HONOR. 


r ¥ the  steadily-growing  good  opinion  of  his 
district,  Garfield  lived  out  his  first  term. 
When  the  time  came  for  holding  the  Con- 
gressional  Convention  of  1864,  in  the  Nineteenth 
District,  it  was  whispered  around  in  the  Western 
Reserve  that  Garfield  had  written  the  Wade-Davis 
manifesto  against  President  Lincoln,  or,  at  least 
was  in  sympathy  with  it.  The  convention  was 
eager  to  nominate  him,  but  it  was  objected,  and 
the  objection  seemed  to  have  some  force  with  the 
delegates,  that  he  had  not  condemned  the  mani- 
festo. He  was  called  upon  to  explain  himself,  and 
the  way  he  did  so  will  never  be  forgotten.  En- 
tering the  convention  hall,  he  walked  up  to  the 
platform,  planted  himself  firmly  on  it,  and  began  a 
speech  that  he  must  have  thought  would  dig  his 
political  grave.  He  spoke  only  for  half  an  hour, 
and  he  told  his  hearers  he  had  not  written  the 
Wade-Davis  letter,  but  he  had  only  one  regret 
connected  with  it,  and  that  was  that  there  was  a 
necessity  for  its  appearance.  He  approved  the 
letter,  defended  the  motives  of  the  authors,  asserted 
his  right  to  independence  of  thought  and  action, 
and  told  the  delegates  that  if  they  did  not  want  a 


248 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


free  agent  for  their  representative,  they  had  bttter 
find  another  man,  for  he  did  not  desire  to  serve 
them  longer. 

As  he  warmed  up  to  his  subject  he  captivated 
’,the  convention  with  his  plain,  hard  reasoning  and 
his  glowing  eloquence.  When  he  had  finished 
speaking,  he  left  the  platform  and  strode  out  of 
the  hall.  As  he  reached  the  front  of  the  stairs,  on 
his  way  out  of  the  building,  he  heard  a great 
noise,  which  he  imagined  was  the  signal  of  his 
unanimous  rejection.  On  the  contrary,  it  was 
the  applause  that  followed  his  nomination  by 
acclamation.  His  very  boldness  had  stunned 
the  convention,  expecting,  as  it  did,  something 
entirely  different  from  the  party  leader.  It  was 
some  seconds  before  anything  was  said,  but 
finally  an  Ashtabula  delegate  got  on  his  feet,  and 
said : “ By , the  man  who  can  face  a conven- 

tion like  that,  ought  to  be  nominated  by  acclama- 
tion.” It  didn’t  take  the  convention  long  to  find 
out  that  it  entertained  a similar  admiration  for  his 
independence  and  pluck,  and  the  result  was  as 
related,  before  his  opponents  in  the  convention 
had  time  to  open  their  mouths. 

Governor  Todd  closed  the  meeting  with  the  re- 
mark : “A  district  that  will  allow  a young  fellow 
like  Garfield  to  tweak  its  nose  and  cuff  its  ears  in 
that  manner,  deserves  to  have  him  saddled  on  it 
for  life.” 

General  Garfield,  speaking  of  this  incident,  said 
he  knew  it  was  a bold  action  for  a youngster,  but 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


249 


he  believed  both  Mr.  Wade  and  Mr.  Davis  to  be 
right,  and  he  determined  to  stand  by  them.  “This 
showed  me,  completely,  the  truth  of  the  old 
maxim,  that  ‘ Honesty  is  the  best  policy,’  and  I 
have  ever  since  been  entirely  independent  in  my 
relations  with  the  people  of  my  district.” 

The  news  of  his  action  spread  far  and  wide.  A 
day  or  two  afterward  he  met  Ben  Wade,  who 
seized  him  by  the  hand,  and -roared  out: 

“ Look  here,  do  you  know  you  did  a d brave 

thing  at  that  convention  the  other  day?” 

“It  was  my  duty,  Mr.  Wade,  to  say  what  I did, 
as  I believed  you  and  Mr.  Davis  to  be  in  the 
right,”  replied  Garfield. 

“ Bosh,”  cried  old  Ben,  “ I say  it  was  d d 

brave.  Why,  not  one  fellow  in  a dozen  but  would 
have  given  Davis  and  I the  go-by.  All  you  had 
to  do  was  to  go  in  and  teter  a little  before  the  con- 
vention, and  they  would  have  promised  in  advance 
to  re-nominate  you.  But  you  didn’t  do  it ; devil  the 
bit  did  you  do  it.  You  took  the  bull  by  the  horns 
like  a man,  and  told  the  convention  it  was  wrong, 

and  I say  it  was  d d brave  in  you  to  do  so. 

Now,  mind  you,  Garfield,  you  have  got  that 
district,  and  they  won’t  fool  with  you  any  more. 
The  people  of  Ohio  like  a bold  and  honest  man, 
and  they  have  found  one  in  you,  and  they  ain’t 
going  to  give  you  up  soon.  Just  you  go  ahead, 
they  know  you  are  worth  a dozen  limber-jacks, 
and  they  will  stick  by  you.  It’s  a clear  case  you 


250  L1FE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 

won’t  turn  for  anybody — you  had  the  best  chance 
to  turn  the  other  day  before  that  convention  you 

will  ever  have,  and  you  didn’t  do  it — no  d if 

you  did.  The  people  hate  a trimmer,  and  I tell 
you  your  action  at  that  convention  has  given  the 
men  and  women  of  your  district  a new  idea  of  you. 
As  for  me,”  added  old  Ben,  the  tears  starting  to 
his  eyes,  “ I won’t  say  how  much  I am  obliged  to 
you  for  the  way  you  stood  by  me,  but  I shall 
never  forget  it,  never,  sir,  while  I live  on  this 
earth.”  Then  the  old  war-horse  went  abruptly 
away,  and  the  young  statesman  knew  he  had  made 
a friend  for  life  of  the  oldest  and  best  statesman 
Ohio  ever  had. 

When  the  election  came  off  he  was  returned  by 
a majority  of  twelve  thousand. 

On  his  return  to  Congress  on  the  opening  of 
his  second  term,  having  proved  himself  such  an 
invaluable  worker,  and  having  risen  to  such  in- 
fluence in  the  handling  of  financial  questions,  that 
the  Secretary  of  the  Treasury  requested  he  be 
appointed  on  the  Committee  of  Ways  and  Means* 
the  leading  committee  of  the  House.  This  was 
much  more  in  the  line  of  his  tastes  and  studies. 
His  work  during  this  term  was  earnest,  thorough 
and  incessant,  and  he  steadily  gained  in  the  estima- 
tion of  his  colleagues.  He  delivered  a noted  speech 
on  the  “Constitutional  Amendment  to  Abolish 


* The  committee  which  matures  the  financial  legislation  of  Congress  and  provides 
the  means  of  raising  the  revenue. 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


25i 


Slavery,”  and  from  the  Committee  on  Military  Af- 
fairs, on  which  he  had  been  appointed,  made  a 
report  on  the  discharge  of  soldiers  who  enlisted 
to  fill  old  regiments. 

He  made  noted  speeches  also  on  the  “Freedman’s 
Bureau  ” and  the  “ Restoration  of  the  Rebel  States,” 
on  the  “Public  Debt  and  Specie  Payments,”  and  on 
“the  National  Bureau  of  Education.”  On  March 
6th  of  this  year  (’66)  he  argued  the  L.  P.  Milligan 
conspiracy  case  against  the  Government,  ap- 
pealed to  the  Supreme  Court  from  the  courts  of 
Indiana.  Ben.  Butler,  Hon.  James  Speed,  Hon. 
Henry  Stanberry  appeared  for  the  United  States, 
and  with  Mr.  Garfield  for  the  petitioners  were  the 
Hon.  J.  A.  McDonald,  Hon.  J.  S.  Black  and  Hon. 
David  Dudley  Field.  Mr.  Garfield’s  argument 
was  most  elaborate  and  bristled  with  precedents 
and  telling  points.  Its  peroration  was  as  follows: 

“It  is  in  your  power,  O Judges!  to  erect  in  this  citadel  of 
our  liberties  a monument  more  lasting  than  brass;  invisible 
indeed  to  the  eye  of  flesh,  but  visible  to  the  eye  of  the  spirit, 
as  the  awful  form  and  figure  of  justice,  crowning  and  adorning 
the  Republic ; rising  above  the  storms  of  political  strife, 
above  the  din  of  battle,  above  the  earthquake  shock  of  rebel- 
lion; seen  from  afar  and  hailed  as  protector  by  the  oppressed 
of  all  nations;  dispensing  equal  blessings,  and  covering  with 
the  protecting  shield  of  law  the  weakest,  the  humblest,  the  mean- 
est, and,  until  declared  by  solemn  law  unworthy  of  protection, 
the  guiltiest  of  its  citizens.” 

When  the  nominating  convention  met  again  in 


252 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAPPER  OF 


the  late  summer  of  1866,  some  few  of  his  constitv 
ents,  living  in  the  Mahoning  Valley,  an  iron  pro- 
ducing district,  opposed  his  re-nomination  on  tho 
ground  that  he  did  not  favor  as  high  a tariff  on 
iron  as  they  wanted.  The  convention,  however 
was  overwhelmingly  on  his  side,  not  a single  anti- 
Garfield  delegate  securing  a seat,  and  in  after 
years  he  succeeded  in  convincing  these  opponents 
that  a moderate  duty,  affording  a sufficient  margin 
for  protection,  was  better  for  their  interests  than 
a high  prohibitory  rate.  During  his  third  term 
he  was  chairman  of  the  Committee  on  Military 
Affairs,  being  placed  at  the  head  of  this  com- 
mittee in  1867.  In  this  committee  he  had  plenty 
of  work  to  do  looking  after  the  demands  of  the 
discharged  soldiers  for  pay  and  bounty,  of  which 
many  had  been  deprived  by  red-tape  decisions  of 
the  Government  accounting  officers.  It  was 
during  this  term  that  everything  seemed  drifting 
toward  greenbacks  and  repudiation.  He  took  a 
bold  stand,  as  his  views  were  opposed  to  those  of 
many  leading  men  of  his  party,  and  to  the  declara- 
tions of  the  Republican  State  Committee  of  Ohio* 
he  indeed  seemed  to  hazard  his  re-nomination,  but 
he  did  not  hesitate  firmly  and  fully  to  avow  his  con- 
victions. His  financial  doctrines  were  at  length 
adopted  by  the  entire  party,  and  fully  indorsed  in 
the  Chicago  Republican  platform. 

These  two  years  are  marked  by  speeches  on  “ Re- 
construction,” “the  Currency,”  “Taxation  of  United 


JAMES  A.  GARFTELD. 


°53 


States  Bonds,”  an  address  on  “College  Education,” 
(June  14th,  1867,)  at  Hiram,  Ohio,  before  the  liter- 
ary societies  of  the  Eclectic  Institute,  and  a Deco- 
ration Day  address  at  Arlington,  Va.,  May  30th, 
1868. 

He  was  opposed  in  the  nominating  convention 
of  1868,  by  Darius  Cadwell,  of  Ashtabula  County, 
who  secured  forty  votes  chiefly  from  his  own 
county,  and  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing  his  oppo- 
nent elected  by  one  of  his  overwhelming  majori- 
ties. When  he  reached  Congress  he  was 
appointed  chairman  of  the  Committee  on  Banking 
and  Currency,  and  during  this  Congress,  beside 
work  on  this  committee,  he  did  most  of  the  hard 
work  on  the  Ninth  Census.  His  work  is  this  ses- 
sion is  noted  for  a most  elaborate,  painstaking 
report  on  remodeling  the  army  and  investigation 
into  the  causes  of  Black  Friday.  This  report, 
which  is  far  too  long  to  print  here,  is  a fascinating 
story  for  any  reader,  possessing  little  of  the  saw- 
dust filling  common  to  “Pub.  Docs.”  April  1st, 
1870,  he  made  a speech  on  the  tariff. 

This  year  there  was  no  opposition  either  in  the 
convention  or  the  field,  and  Garfield  returned  to 
the  capital  for  his  fifth  two  years.  In  1871,  he 
was  promoted  to  the  chairmanship  of  the  Commit- 
tee on  Appropriations,  as  successor  to  Henry  L. 
Dawes,  which  he  held  until  the  Democrats  got 
control  of  the  House,  in  1875.  He  made  speeches 
on  the  “McGarrahan  Claim,”  the  “Right  to  Orig- 


254 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


inate  Revenue  Bills,”  “Enforcing  the  Fourteenth 
Amendment,”  “National  Aid  to  Education.”  He 
delivered,  on  November  25th,  1871,  an  elaborate 
eulogy  on  General  George  H.  Thomas,  and  Feb- 
ruary 9th,  1872,  argued  the  Henderson  case  be- 
fore the  Supreme  Court. 

In  1872,  a few  blank  ballots  were  cast  in  the 
nominating  convention,  and  a liberal  Republican 
was  taken  up  by  the  opposition  at  the  election,  but 
Garfield  received  his  old-time  majority  and  re- 
turned aomin  to  Washington.  He  delivered,  on 
July  2d,  1873,  an  oration  to  the  students  of  Hud- 
son College,  on  “The  Future  of  the  Republic.” 
In  October,  the  same  year,  he  was  in  the  Supreme 
Court,  in  the  Rogers  case,  and  contributed  some 
papers  to  the  Western  Reserve  and  Northern 
Ohio  Historical  Society. 

The  year  1874  was  the  year  of  the  Democratic 
tidal  wave,  the  Credit  Mobilier  and  the  salary 
grab  having  alienated  many  of  the  Republican 
thousands.  Nowhere  did  these  two  affairs  make 
a deeper  impression  than  in  the  sensitive  and  jeal- 
ous constituency  represented  by  Mr.  Garfield, 
Mr.  Whittlesey  and  Mr.  Giddings,  who  had  pre- 
ceded Mr.  Garfield,  were  men  of  unsullied  repu- 
tation. The  faintest  semblance  to  anything  like  a 
wrong  or  improper  course  of  conduct  was  enough 
to  draw  forth  the  honest,  plain-spoken  indignation 
of  men  who  were  not  ready  to  justify  the  slightest 
departure  from  the  line  of  right.  General  Gar- 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


255 


field  had  now  represented  the  district  in  five  suc- 
cessive Congresses,  and,  though  not  so  well  known 
as  he  is  to-day,  his  name  had  crossed  the  conti- 
nent to  the  West  and  the  ocean  to  the  East.  The 
district  felt  very  proud  of  him.  No  representative 
held  his  constituency  with  a firmer  hand.  His 
tenure  promised  to  be  as  long  as  that  of  Whittle- 
sey or  Giddings.  But  now  all  was  changed.  A 
Republican  convention,  that  met  in  Warren  for 
some  local  purpose,  demanded  his  resignation. 
Most  men  denounced,  all  regretted,  none  defended 
what  had  been  done.  All  that  the  staunchest 
friends  of  General  Garfield  presumed  to  do  was 
to  say:  “Wait  until  you  hear  the  case;  hear  what 
Garfield  has  to  say  before  you  determine  that  he 
is  a dishonest  man.”  Garfield  wrote  from  Wash- 
ington to  a friend:  “The  district  is  lost,  and  as 
soon  as  I can  close  up  my  affairs  here  I am  coming 
home  to  capture  it.” 

And  he  did  capture  it.  He  issued  his  pamplv 
lets,  “ Review  of  the  Transactions  of  the  Credit 
Mobilier  Company  ” and  “ Increase  of  Salaries  ” 
from  Washing-ton,  and  then  came  on  to  Hiram. 
These  pamphlets,  with  a personal  speech  in  War- 
ren  somewhat  later,  constituted  his  direct  defense. 
When  the  next  campaign  opened,  he  went,  as 
usual,  upon  the  stump.  He  rarely  referred  to 
the  charges  against  him,  and  never  did  unless 
compelled  to.  He  grappled  with  the  questions  of 
the  day.  He  went  from  county  to  county,  and 


256 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


almost  from  village  to  village.  His  knowledge 
was  so  great,  his  argumentation  so  logical,  his 
spirit  so  earnest,  and  his  bearing,  both  public  and 
private,  so  manly,  that  men  began  to  ask : “ Can 
it  be  true  that  Mr.  Garfield  is  such  a man  as  they 
tell  us  ?”  Prejudice  was  slowly  but  surely  over- 
come, and  at  the  polls  the  people’s  belief  was  thus 
expressed:  Garfield,  12,591;  Regular  Democratic 
ticket,  6,245  ; Independent  Republican  ticket, 
3,427.  His  antagonist  this  time  was  a Republi- 
can, named  Casement,  who  is  to-day  one  of  the 
general’s  best  friends.  During  all  the  storm  of 
abuse  that  darkened  this  year,  the  sunshine  of  the 
future  was  predicted.  A sonnet  appeared  in  the 
Washington  Evening  Star,  in  the  winter  of  ’74: 

“TO  JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 

“ Thou  who  didst  ride  on  Chickamauga’s  day. 

All  solitary,  down  the  fiery  line, 

And  saw  the  ranks  of  battle  rusty  shine, 

Where  grand  old  Thomas  held  them  from  dismay. 

Regret  not  now,  while  meaner  factions  play 
Their  brief  campaigns  against  the  best  of  men  ; 

For  those  spent  balls  of  slander  have  their  way. 

And  thou  shalt  see  the  victory  again. 

Weary  and  ragged,  thoujh  the  broken  lines 
Of  party  reel,  and  thine  own  honor  bleeds, 

That  mole  is  blind  (hat  Garfield  undermines  ! 

That  shot  falls  short  that  hired  slander  speeds  ! 

That  man  will  live  whose  place  the  State  assigns. 

And  whose  high  mind  the  mighty  nation  needs  !” 

In  1876,  he  was  again  re-elected.  He  served 
in  this  term  as  a member  of  the  Committee  on 
Rules,  in  recognition  of  his  rare  -knowledge  of 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


25  7 


parliamentary  law.  In  1877,  Mr.  Blaine  took  his 
seat  in  the  Senate,  and  the  mantle  of  Republican 
. leadership  in  the  House,  by  common  consent,  de- 
scended to  Mr.  Garfield ; a mantle  which  he  has 
worn  with  honor  ever  since.  He  was,  at  the 
opening  of  this  Congress,  the  Republican  candi- 
date for  the  speakership,  but  the  Democrats  were 
largely  in  the  majority,  and  Mr.  Randall  was 
elected  over  him.  In  this  same  year,  upon  the 
appointment  of  Senator  Sherman  to  the  post  of 
Secretary  of  the  Treasury,  his  own  inclinations 
and  the  support  of  his  friends  in  Ohio  led  him  to 
aspire  to  the  vacant  Senatorial  chair.  The  repre- 
sentations of  President  Hayes  are  understood  to 
have  been  effective  in  preventing  him  from  be- 
coming a candidate  for  that  place,  on  the  ground 
that  his  services  were  more  needed  as  Speaker  of 
the  House  of  Representatives,  and  Mr.  Stanley 
Matthews  was  elected  Senator.  When  the  House 
was  organized,  however,  the  Speakership  was  car- 
ried off  by  the  Democracy,  and  General  Garfield 
was  left  “out  in  the  cold.”  It  was  just  as  well  for 
him,  for  two  years  later  the  Democracy  also  car- 
ried  Ohio  and  elected  “ Gentleman  George  ” Pen- 
dleton to  Matthews’s  seat  in  the  Senate. 

In  1878,  he  was  re-elected  by  « majority  of 
9,613.  Opposition  was  now  no  more.  Men  who 
had  been  most  denunciatory  was  now  warmest  in 
his  praise ; and  it  was  actually  left  to  the  friends 
who  had  stood  by  him  through  all  the  storm  to 


2^8  LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 

siipply  such  criticism  as  every  public  man  needs  to 
keep  him  in  proper  tone. 

As  it  was  in  the  district,  so  it  was  in  the  State. 
In  a sense,  in  1873,  he  had  come  to  be  the  repre- 
sentative of  Ohio.  He  passed  though  a State  as 
well  as  a district  ordeal,  and  came  out  approved. 
What  then  was  more  natural  than  that  when  the 
last  election  gave  the  Ohio  Legislature  to  the  Re- 
publicans, and  the  party  looked  around  for  a suc- 
cessor to  Allen  G.  Thurman  on  the  4th  of  March 
next,  Mr.  Garfield  should  be  the  man.  He  had 
received  the  complimentary  vote  of  the  Republican 
members  in  the  caucus  two  years  before — 1878 — 
and  after  a protracted  and  bitter  contest  in  that 
caucus,  his  name  was  withdrawn,  and  it  was  re- 
solved to  cast  only  blank  votes  in  the  two  houses. 
This  time  ex-Senator  Stanley  Matthews,  ex-At- 
torney-General  Alphonso  Taft  and  ex-Governor 
William  Denison  had  also  entered  into  a canvass 
for  the  place,  but  by  the  time  the  caucus  met  the 
general  sentiment  of  the  State  was  so  earnest  and 
enthusiastic  in  favor  of  Garfield,  that  his  three  com- 
petitors withdrew  without  waiting  for  a ballot,  and 
he  was  nominated  unanimously  by  a rising  vote,  an 
honor  never  accorded  to  any  other  man  of  any 
party  in  the  State  of  Ohio.  He  was  elected  by  a 
majority  of  22  in  the  Assembly  and  a majority  of 
7 in  the  Senate. 

It  will  be  apropos  to  go  back  a bit  here  to  relate 'a 
little  incident.  Soon  after  A.  G.  Thurman’s  elec- 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


259 


tion  and  Ben  Wade’s  retirement  from  the  Senate, 
it  was  proposed  by  his  friends  in  Ohio  that  the 
“Old  War  Horse”  should  be  sent  to  the  House. 
Wade  lived  in  Garfield’s  district,  and  as  soon  as 
the  general  heard  of  the  proposition  to  send  Wade 
to  the  House,  he  cordially  indorsed  it,  saying: 
“The  nation  can  better  afford  to  spare  me  from  its 
councils  than  it  can  to  spare  Ben  Wade — let  him 
be  sent  to  the  House  in  my  place.” 

When  Wade  heard  of  what  was  on  foot,  he 
said : “ Now,  put  a stop  to  it,  and  at  once.  What 
a devil  of  an  idea ! sending  me  to  the  House,  as  if 
I were  an  essential  to  its  existence ! Why,  I 
wouldn’t  go  if  I was  unanimously  nominated  and 
elected.  You  have  a good  representative  in  Gar- 
field, and  I advise  you  to  stick  to  him.  I am  old, 
and  had  better  be  getting  ready  to  die  than  think- 
ing of  office.  I have  had  enough  of  public  office, 
and  only  wish  to  be  let  alone  now.  Garfield  is 
young,  faithful  and  able  ; send  him  back,  and  keep 
him  there — stick  to  him.  I tell  you,  there  is  no 
telling  how  high  that  fellow  may  go.” 

At  Columbus,  on  January  14th,  1880,  he  ac- 
knowledged his  election  as  United  States  Senator 
in  one  of  his  admirable  speeches.  He  said: 

“ Fellow-citizens  : — I should  be  a great  deal  more  than  a man,  or  a 
great  deal  less  than  a man,  if  I were  not  extremely  gratified  by  this  mark 
of  yonr  kindness  you  have  shown  me  in  recent  days.  I did  not  expect  any 
such  a meeting  as  this.  I knew  there  was  a greeting  awaiting  me,  but  I 
did  not  expect  so  cordial,  generous  and  general  a greeting,  without  distinc- 
tion of  party,  without  distinction  of  interests,  as  I have  received  here  to- 
night. 

“ I recognize  the  importance  of  the  place  to  which  you  have  elected  me  * 


2>6o 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


and  I should  be  base  if  I did  not  also  recognize  the  great  man  whom  you 
have  elected  me  to  succeed.  I say  for  him,  Ohio  has  had  few  larger- 
minded,  broader-minded  men  in  the  record  of  her  history  than  that  of  Allen 
G.  Thurman.  Differing  widely  from  him,  as  I have  done  in  politics  and 
do,  I recognize  him  as  a man  high  in  character  and  great  in  intellect ; and 
I take  this  occasion  to  refer  to  what  I have  never  before  referred  to  in 
public — that  many  years  ago,  in  the  storm  of  party  fighting,  when  the  air 
was  filled  with  all  sorts  of  missiles  aimed  at  the  character  and  reputation  of 
public  men,  when  it  was  even  for  his  party  interest  to  join  the  general 
clamor  against  me  and  my  associates,  Senator  Thurman  said  in  public,  in 
the  campaign,  on  the  stump — when  men  are  as  likely  to  say  unkind  things 
as  at  any  place  in  the  world — a most  generous  and  earnest  word  of  defense 
and  kindness  for  me,  which  I shall  never  forget  so  long  as  I live.  I say, 
moreover,  that  the  flowers  that  bloom  over  the  garden-wall  of  party  politics, 
are  the  sweetest  and  most  fragrant  that  bloom  in  the  gardens  of  this  world, 
and,  where  we  can  fairly  pluck  them  and  enjoy  their  fragrance,  it  is  manly 
and  delightful  to  do  so. 

“And  now,  gentlemen  of  the  general  assembly,  without  distinction  of 
party,  I recognize  this  tribute  and  compliment  made  to  me  to-night.  What- 
ever my  own  course  may  be  in  the  future,  a large  share  of  the  inspiration  of 
my  future  public  life  will  be  drawn  from  this  occasion  and  these  surround- 
ings, and  I shall  feel  anew  the  sense  of  obligation  that  I feel  to  the  State  of 
Ohio.” 

June  loth,  1880,  he  was  nominated  at  Chicago 
for  the  presidency,  and  on  July  6th  he  was  elected 
a trustee  of  Williams  College. 

We  have  not  in  this  chapter  given  anything 
more  than  a skeleton  outline  of  his  career,  upon 
which  to  hanof  the  fuller  flesh  of  the  succeeding 
pages,  believing  this  arrangement  will  prove 
more  agreeable  to  the  reader  than  following 
General  Garfield  step  by  step ; but  we  will  in- 
clude here  two  letters  to  Mr.  Hinsdale,  that  fur- 
nish a chance  glimpse  at  the  life  of  this  man. 
The  first  is  dated  Washington,  December  nth, 
1865  : 

“ We  lrave  begun,  as  you  have  seen,  and  currents  are  beginning  to  develop 
their  direction  and  strength  only  feebly  as  yet.  We  appear  to  have  a very 
robust  House,  and  indications  thus  far  show  it  to  be  a very  sound  one. 
The  message  is  much  better  than  we  expected,  and  I have  hoped  that  we 

shall  be  able  to  work  with  the  President.  He  sent  for  me  day  before  yes- 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


26l 


terday,  and  we  had  a free  conversation.  I gave  him  the  views  of  the  earnest 
men  North  as  I understand  them,  and  we  tried  to  look  over  the  whole  field 
of  the  difficulties  before  us. 

“ They  are  indeed  many  and  formidable.  Sumner  and  Boutwell  and 
some  more  of  that  class  are  full  of  alarm ; less,  however,  than  when  they 
first  came.  Some  foolish  men  among  us  are  all  the  while  bristling  up  for 
fight,  and  seem  to  be  anxious  to  make  a rupture  with  Johnson.  I think  we 
should  assume  that  he  is  with  us,  treat  him  kindly,  without  suspicion,  and 
go  on  in  a firm,  calmly  considered  course,  leaving  him  to  make  the  breach 
with  the  party  if  any  is  made.  I doubt,  if  he  would  do  it  under  such  cir- 
cumstances. The  caucus  resolution  of  Thad.  Stevens  was  bad  in  some  of 
its  features.  It  was  rushed  through  before  the  caucus  was  fully  assembled, 
and,  while  it  expresses  the  sentiment  of  the  House  in  its  main  propo- 
sitions, there  are  some  points  designed  to  antagonize  with  the  President. 
It  still  lies  over  in  the  Senate,  where  it  will  be  modified,  if  it  passes 
at  all.” 

The  second  is  likewise  from  Washington,  but 
written  two  years  later : 


“Washington,  D.  C.,  January  1st,  1867. 

“ I am  less  satisfied  with  the  present  aspect  of  public  affairs  than  I have 
been  for  a long  time.  I find  that  many  of  the  points  and  doctrines,  both  in 
general  politics  and  finance,  which  I believe  in  and  desire  to  see  prevail,  are 
meeting  with  more  opposition  than  heretofore,  and  are  in  imminent  danger 
of  being  overborne  by  popular  clamor  and  political  passion.  In  reference 
to  reconstruction,  I feel  that  if  the  Southern  States  should  adopt  the  Con- 
stitutional Amendments  within  a reasonable  time,  we  are  literally  bound  to 
admit  them  to  representation ; if  they  reject  it,  then  I am  in  favor  of  strik- 
ing for  impartial  suffrage,  though  I see  that  such  a course  is  beset  with  grave 
dangers.  Now  Congress  seems  determined  to  rush  forward  without  waiting 
even  for  the  action  of  the  Southern  States,  thus  giving  the  South  the  impres- 
sion, and  our  political  enemies  at  home  a pretext  for  saying,  that  we  were 
not  in  good  faith  when  we  offered  the  Constitutional  Amendments.  * * * 
Really,  there  seems  to  be  a fear  on  the  part  of  many  of  our  friends  that 
they  may  do  some  absurdly  extravagant  thing  to  prove  their  radicalism.  I 
am  trying  to  do  two  things : dare  to  be  a radical  and  not  be  a fool,  which, 
if  I may  judge  by  the  exhibitions  around  me,  is  a matter  of  no  small  diffi- 
culty. I wish  the  South  would  adopt  the  Constitutional  Amendments  soon 
and  in  good  temper.  Perhaps  they  will.  * * * Next,  the  Supreme 
Court  has  decided  the  case  I argued  last  winter,  and  the  papers  are  insanely 
calling  for  the  abolition  of  the  court.  * * * In  reference  to  finance,  I 
believe  that  the  great  remedy  for  our  ills  is  an  early  return  to  specie  pay- 
ments, which  can  only  be  effected  by  the  contraction  of  our  paper  currency. 
There  is  a huge  clamor  against  both  and  in  favor  of  expansion.  You  know 
my  views  on  the  tariff.  I am  equally  assaulted  by  the  free-traders  and  by 
the  extreme  tariff  men.  There  is  passion  enough  in  the  country  to  run  a 
steam-engine  in  every  village,  and  a spirit  of  proscription  which  keeps  pace 
with  the  passion.  My  own  course  is  chosen,  and  it  is  quite  probable  it  will 
throw  me  out  of  public  life.” 


262 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAPE  BE  OF 


CHAPTER  XIX. 


AN  ORNAMENT  OF  CONGRESS. 


GENERAL  GARFIELD’S  career  in  Con- 
gress was  essentially  one  of  work.  The 
number  of ' his  speeches,  reports,  reso- 
lutions,  debates,  etc.,  is  high  in  the  hundreds. 
What  he  was  as  an  orator  we  shall  see  later.  As 
a debater  he  has  had  few  equals.  Producing  al- 
ways an  overwhelming  array  of  facts,  he  has  ever 
been  a 


Tower  of  strength, 

Which  stands  four  square  to  all  the  winds  that  blow  1 

He  was  thorough  in  committee  work,  assiduous 
in  private  study  of  pending  questions  and  an  able 
debater,  by  no  means  a common  combination  of 
qualities.  He  interested  himself  in  many  subjects 
of  great  importance  to  the  public,  in  which  your 
common  congressman  has  small  interest ; in  the 
census,  in  education,  in  the  scientific  surveys,  in 
the  life-saving  service,  and  in  many  more.  As  the 
Republican  leader  in  the  House,  he  has  been  more 
conservative  and  less  rash  than  Blaine,  and 
his  judicial  turn  of  mind  made  him  prone  to  look 
for  both  sides  of  a question,  and  always  relieved 
him  of  the  charge  of  partisanship.  When  the 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD 


263 

issue  fairly  touched  his  convictions,  however,  he 
became  thoroughly  aroused  and  struck  tremen- 
dous blows.  Blaine’s  tactics  were  to  continually 
harass  the  enemy  by  sharp-shooting,  surprises  and 
picket-firing.  Garfield  waited  always  for  an  op- 
portunity to  deliver  a pitched  battle,  and  his  gen- 
eralship was  shown  to  best  advantage  when  the 
fight  was  a fair  one,  and  waged  on  grounds  where 
each  party  thought  itself  the  strongest.  Then  his 
solid  shot  of  argument  was  exceedingly  effective. 
He  has  always  taken  a genuine  pride  in  the  histor- 
ical achievements  of  the  Republican  party,  with 
which  he  has  been  identified  from  its  birth.  He 
has  a traditional  leaning  toward  all  measures  for 
the  advantage  of  the  freedmen  or  the  curtailing-  the 
influence  of  the  party  which  he  holds  to  have  been 
responsible  for  the  rebellion.  Nevertheless,  he  is 
by  no  means  deficient  in  generous  impulses  toward 
the  South,  and  has  more  than  once  exerted  his  in- 
fluence to  prevent  the  passage  of  rash  partisan 
legislation  against  the  interests  of  that  section.  The 
“ Confederate  brigadiers  ” in  Congress  have  found 
him  a determined  and  loyal  adversary,  but  he  has 
never  stooped  to  take  unfair  advantage  of  the  nu- 
merical preponderance  of  his  party.  As  leader  of 
the  Republican  minority  in  the  present  House  of 
Representatives  he  has  known  how  to  reconcile 
the  party  fealty  with  a concilatory  disposition 
toward  the  party  in  power,  and  has  not  been  un- 
duly obstructive  of  any  legislation  which  did  not, 


264 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


in  his  opinion,  transcend  the  fair  limits  of  party 
predominance.  He  is  in  all  things  a calm,  cour- 
teous, determined  leader  of  men — 

rich  in  saving  common  sense, 

And,  as  the  wisest  only  are, 

In  his  simplicity  sublime. 

He  is  not  a practical  politician  and  knows  little 
of  the  machinery  of  caucuses  and  conventions  or 
the  methods  of  conducting  close  campaigns.  As 
a politician  in  the  larger  and  better  sense  of 
shaping  the  policy  of  a great  party,  however,  he 
has  few  equals.  To  no  man  is  the  Republican 
party  more  indebted  for  its  successes  in  recent 
years  than  to  James  A.  Garfield. 

With  the  single  exception  of  1867,  when  he 
spent  several  weeks  in  Europe,  partly  in  com- 
pany with  Senator  Blaine  and  Senator  Morrill,  he 
did  hard  work  on  the  stump  for  the  Republican 
party  in  every  campaign  since  he  entered  Con- 
gress. On  the  stump,  he  is  one  of  the  best  ora- 
tors in  his  party.  He  has  a good  voice,  an  air  of 
evident  sincerity,  great  clearness  and  vigor  of 
statement,  and  a way  of  knitting  his  arguments 
together,  so  as  to  make  a speech  deepen  its  im- 
pression on  the  mind  of  the  hearer,  until  the  cli- 
max clinches  the  arg-ument  forever.  For  the 
past  ten  years,  his  services  have  been  in  demand 
in  all  parts  of  the  country.  He  has  usually  re- 
served half  his  time  for  the  Ohio  canvass,  and 
given  the  other  half  to  other  States.  The  No- 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


265 


vember  election  finds  him  worn  and  haggard  with 
travel  and  speaking  in  the  open  air,  but  his  robust 
constitution  always  carries  him  through,  and  after 
a few  weeks’  rest  on  his  farm  he  appears  in 
Washington  refreshed  and  ready  for  the  duties  of 
the  session. 

A mind  so  prone  as  his  to  look  philosophically 
into  his  surroundings  could  not  fail  to  have  studied 
into  the  history  and  functions  of  the  body  of 
which  he  made  such  an  illustrious  member,  and  it 
will  be  fitting  to  follow  a criticism  of  him  as  a 
member  of  that  body,  with  his  own  remarks  upon 
it.  In  July,  1877,  he  contributed  to  the  Atlantic 
Monthly  an  article,  entitled  “A  Century  in  Con- 
gress,” from  which  we  extract  his  views  of  the 
same : 

“ Congress  has  always  been  and  must  always  be  the  theatre 
of  contending  opinions,  the  forum  where  the  opposing  forces 
of  political  philosophy  meet  to  measure  their  strength ; where 
the  public  good  must  meet  the  assaults  of  local  and  sectional 
interests,  in  a word,  the  appointed  place  where  the  nation 
seeks  to  utter  its  thoughts  and  register  its  will. 

“In  the  main,  the  balance  of  power  so  admirably  adjusted 
and  distributed  among  the  three  great  departments  of  the 
Government  has  been  safely  preserved.  It  was  the  purpose 
of  our  fathers  to  lodge  absolute  power  nowhere;  to  leave  each 
department  independent  within  its  own  sphere;  yet,  in  every 
case,  responsible  for  the  exercise  of  its  discretion.  But  some 
dangerous  innovations  have  been  made.  And  first,  the  ap- 
pointing power  of  the  President  has  been  seriously  encroached 
upon  by  Congress,  or  rather  by  the  members  of  Congress. 
Curiously  enough,  this  encroachment  originated  in  the  act  of 


2 66 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


the  chief  executive  himself.  The  fierce  popular  hatred  of  the 
Federal  party,  which  resulted  in  the  elevation  of  Jefferson  to 
the  presidency,  led  that  officer  to  set  the  first  example  of  re- 
moving men  from  office  on  account  of  political  opinions. 
For  political  causes  alone,  he  removed  a considerable  number 
of  officers  who  had  recently  been  appointed  by  President 
Adams,  and  thus  set  the  pernicious  example.  His  immediate 
successors  made  only  a few  removals  for  political  reasons. 
But  Jackson  made  his  political  opponents,  who  were  in  office, 
feel  the  full  weight  of  his  executive  hand.  From  that  time 
forward,  the  civil  officers  of  the  Government  became  the 
prizes  for  which  political  parties  strove  ; and  twenty-five  years 
ago,  the  corrupting  doctrine  that  * to  the  victors  belong  the 
spoils’  was  shamelessly  announced  as  an  article  of  political 
faith  and  practice.  It  is  hardly  possible  to  state  with  ade- 
quate force  the  noxious  influence  of  this  doctrine.  * * * 

The  present  system  invades  the  independence  of  the  ex- 
ecutive, and  make'  him  less  responsible  for  the  character  of 
his  appointments  ; it  impairs  the  efficiency  of  the  legislator, 
by  diverting  him  from  his  proper  sphere  of  duty,  and  involv- 
ing him  in  the  intrigues  of  aspirants  for  office  ; it  degrades 
the  civil  service  itself,  by  destroying  the  personal  independ- 
ence of  those  who  are  appointed;  it  repels  from  the  service 
those  high  and  manly  qualities  which  are  so  necessary  to  a 
pure  and  efficient  administration  ; and,  finally,  it  debauches 
the  public  mind  by  holding  up  public  office  as  the  reward  of 
mere  party  zeal.  To  reform  this  service  is  one  of  the  highest 
and  most  imperative  duties  of  statesmanship.  This  reform 
cannot  be  accomplished  without  a complete  divorce  between 
Congress  and  the  Executive  in  the  matter  of  appointments  . 
It  will  be  a proud  day  when  an  administrator,  senator  or  re- 
presentative, who  is  in  good  standing  in  his  party,  can  say  as 
Thomas  Hughes  said,  during  his  recent  visit  to  this  country, 
that  though  he  was  on  the  “most  intimate  terms  with  the  mem- 
bers of  his  administration,  yet  it  was  not  in  his  power  to  se- 
cure the  removal  of  the  humblest  clerk  in  the  civil  service  of 
his  government.” 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


267 


u I have  long  believed  that  the  official  relations  between 
the  Executive  and  Congress  should  be  more  open  and  direct. 
They  are  now  conducted  by  correspondence  with  the  pre- 
siding officers  of  the  two  Houses,  by  consultation  with  com- 
mittees, or  by  private  interviews  with  individual  members. 
This  frequently  leads  to  misunderstandings,  and  may  lead  to 
corrupt  combinations.  It  would  be  far  better  for  both  de- 
partments if  the  members  of  the  cabinet  were  permitted  to  sit 
in  Congress  and  participate  in  the  debates  on  measures  re- 
lating to  their  several  departments — but,  of  course,  without  a 
vote.  This  would  tend  to  secure  the  ablest  men  for  the  chief 
executive  offices,  it  would  bring  the  policy  of  the  administra- 
tion into  the  fullest  publicity  by  giving  both  parties  ample 
opportunity  for  criticism  and  defense. 

“ The  most  alarming  feature  of  our  situation  is  the  fact  that 
so  many  citizens  of  high  character  and  solid  judgment  pay  but 
little  attention  to  the  sources  of  political  power,  to  the  selec- 
tion of  those  who  shall  make  their  laws.  The  clergy,  the 
faculties  of  colleges,  and  many  of  the  leading  business  men  of 
the  community  never  attend  the  township  caucus,  the  city 
primaries  or  the  county  conventions;  but  they  allow  the  less 
intelligent  and  the  more  selfish  and  corrupt  members  of  the 
community  to  make  the  slates  and  ‘ run  the  machine  ’ of  poli- 
tics. They  wait  until  the  machine  has  done  its  work,  and 
then,  in  surprise  and  horror  at  the  ignorance  and  corruption 
in  public,  sigh  for  the  return  of  that  mythical  period  called 
the  ‘better  and  purer  days  of  the  Republic.’  It  is  precisely 
this  neglect  of  the  first  steps  in  our  political  processes  that  has 
made  possible  the  worst  evils  of  our  system.  Corrupt  and  in- 
competent presidents,  judges  and  legislators  can  be  removed, 
but  when  the  fountains  of  political  power  are  corrupted,  when 
voters  themselves  become  venal  and  elections  fraudulent,  there 
is  no  remedy  except  by  awakening  the  public  conscience  and 
bringing  to  bear  upon  the  subject  the  power  of  public  opinion 
and  the  penalties  of  the  law.  The  practice  of  buying  and 
selling  votes  at  our  popular  elections  has  already  gained  a foot- 


268 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OP 


hold,  though  it  has  not  gone  as  far  as  in  England.  In  a 
word,  our  national  safety  demands  that  the  fountains  of  politi- 
cal power  shall  be  made  pure  by  intelligence,  and  kept  pure 
by  vigilance : that  the  best  citizen  shall  take  heed  to  the 
selection  and  election  of  the  worthiest  and  most  intelligent 
among  them  to  hold  seats  in  the  national  legislature ; and 
that  when  the  choice  has  been  made,  the  continuance  of  their 
representatives  shall  depend  upon  his  faithfulness,  his  ability 
and  his  willingness  to  work.” 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


269 


CHAPTER  XX. 

THE  ORATOR’S  POWER. 

WE  must  now  invite  the  reader’s  attention 
to  Garfield  as  he  appears  in  his 
speeches,  and  if  we  cannot  follow  him 
as  fully  as  we  would  like — to  show  his  rare  orator- 
ical power  and  splendid  statesmanship,  to  develop 
in  his  own  words  what  he  is — it  is  because  space 
forbids.  His  speeches  alone  make  volumes  and 
we  can  only  cull  here  and  there  a flower  from  the 
thickly  blossoming  fields. 

It  was  impossible  for  a man  so  large  hearted,  so 
patriotic  as  Garfield  is  not  to  have  felt  deeply  the 
death  of  Abraham  Lincoln.  He  saw  that  it  was 
not  the  hand  of  one  man  but  the  spirit  of  seces- 
sion aiming  a last  despairing  blow  at  the  great 
principles  that  had  conquered  it.  Naturally  then 
his  was  the  tongue  to  give  some  expression  to  the 
nation’s  grief.  And  in  the  exciting  hours  that 
followed  Booth’s  cowardly  pistol  shot,  when  the 
whole  North  was  roused  with  a whirlwind  of  mad 
passion,  Garfield’s  hand  was  apparent  in  staying 
the  impending  storm,  in  counseling  that  course 
that  led  to  the  wiser  way,  the  better  plan. 

In  the  incident  we  are  about  to  relate  the  extra- 
ordinary moral  power  always  exerted  over  men  by 


270 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


the  nominee  for  the  Presidency,  was  perhaps 
never  shown  to  a better  advantage.  The  incident 
is  contributed  to  this  volume  by  a distinguished 
public  man,  who  was  an  eye-witness  of  the  ex- 
citing scene ; 

“ I shall  never  forget  the  first  time  I saw  General  Garfield. 
It  was  the  morning  after  President  Lincoln’s  assassination. 
The  country  was  excited  to  its  utmost  tension,  and  New  York 
city  seemed  ready  for  the  scenes  of  the  French  revolution. 
The  intelligence  of  Lincoln’s  murder  had  been  flashed  by  the 
wires  over  the  whole  land.  The  newspaper  head-lines  of  the 
transaction  were  set  up  in  the  largest  type,  and  the  high  crime 
was  on  every  one’s  tongue.  Fear  took  possession  of  men’s 
minds  as  to  the  fate  of  the  Government,  for  in  a few  hours 
the  news  came  on  that  Seward’s  throat  was  cut,  and  that  at- 
tempts had  been  made  upon  the  lives  of  others  of  the  Govern- 
ment officers.  Posters  were  stuck  up  everywhere,  in  great 
black  letters,  calling  upon  the  loyal  citizens  of  New  York, 
Brooklyn,  Jersey  City  and  neighboring  places  to  meet  around 
the  Wall-Street  Exchange  and  give  expression  to  their  senti- 
ments. It  was  a dark  and  terrible  hour.  What  might  come 
next  no  one  could  tell,  and  men  spoke  with  bated  breath. 
The  wrath  of  the  workingmen  was  simply  uncontrollable,  and 
revolvers  and  knives  were  in  the  hands  of  thousands  of  Lin- 
coln’s friends,  ready,  at  the  first  opportunity,  to  take  the  law 
into  their  own  hands,  and  avenge  the  death  of  *heir  martyred 
President  upon  any  and  all  who  dared  to  utter  a word  against 
him.  Eleven  o’clock  A.  M.  was  the  hour  set  for  the  rendez- 
vous. Fifty  thousand  people  crowded  around  the  Exchange 
Building,  cramming  and  jamming  the  streets,  and  wedged  in 
tight  as  men  could  stand  together.  With  a few  to  whom  a 
special  favor  was  extended,  I went  over  from  Brooklyn  at 
nine  A.  M.,  and,  even  then,  with  the  utmost  difficulty, 
found  my  way  to  the  reception  room  for  the  speakers  in  the 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


271 


front  of  the  Exchange  Building,  and  looking  out  on  the 
high  and  massive  balcony,  whose  front  was  protected  by  a 
heavy  iron  railing.  We  sat  in  solemnity  and  silence,  waiting  • 
for  General  Butler,  who,  it  was  announced,  had  started  from 
Washington,  and  was  either  already  in  the  city  or  expected 
every  moment  Nearly  a hundred  generals,  judges,  states- 
men, lawyers,  editors,  clergymen  and  others  were  in  that 
room  waiting  Butler’s  arrival.  We  stepped  out  to  the  balcony 
to  watch  the  fearfully  solemn  and  swaying  mass  of  people. 
Not  a hurrah  was  heard,  but  for  the  most  part  a dead  silence, 
or  a deep,  ominous  muttering  ran  like  a rising  wave  up  the 
street  toward  Broadway,  and  again  down  toward  the  river  on 
the  right.  At  length  the  batons  of  the  police  were  seen 
swinging  in  the  air,  far  up  on  the  left,  parting  the  crowd  and 
pressing  it  back  to  make  way  for  a carriage  that  moved 
slowly,  and  with  difficult  jogs,  through  the  compact  multi- 
tude. Suddenly  the  silence  was  broken,  and  the  cry  of 
‘Butler!’  ‘Butler!’  ‘Butler!’  rang  out  with  tremendous  and 
thrilling  effect,  and  was  taken  up  by  the  people.'  But  not  a 
hurrah  ! Not  once  ! It  was  the  cry  of  a.  great  people,  asking 
to  know  how  their  President  died.  The  blood  bounced  in 
our  veins,  and  the  tears  ran  like  streams  down  our  faces. 
How  it  was  done  I forget,  but  Butler  was  pulled  through  and 
pulled  up,  and  entered  the  room,  where  we  had  just  walked 
back  to  meet  him.  A broad  crape,  a yard  long,  hung  from 
his  left  arm — terrible  contrast  with  the  countless  flags  that 
were  waving  the  nation’s  victory  in  the  breeze.  We  first 
realized,  then,  the  truth  of  the  sad  news  that  Lincoln  was 
dead.  When  Butler  entered  the  room  we  shook  hands. 
Some  spoke,  some  could  not ; all  were  in  tears.  The  only 
word  Butler  had  for  us  all,  at  the  first  break  of  the  silence, 
was,  ‘ Gentlemen , he  died  in  the  fullness  of  his  fame  /’  and  as 
he  spoke  it  his  lips  quivered  and  the  tears  ran  fast  down  his 
cheeks.  Then,  after  a few  moments,  came  the  speaking. 
And  you  can  imagine  the  effect,  as  the  crape  fluttered  in  the 
Wind,  while  his  arm  was  uplifted.  Dickinson,  of  New  York 


272 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


State,  was  fairly  wild.  The  old  man  leaped  over  the  iron 
railing  of  the  balcony  and  stood  on  the  very  edge,  overhang- 
ing the  crowd,  gesticulating  in  the  most  vehement  manner, 
and  almost  bidding  the  crowd  ‘ burn  up  the  rebel,  seed, 
root  and  branch,’  while  a bystander  held  on  to  his  coat-tails 
to  keep  him  from  falling  over.  By  this  time  the  wave  of 
popular  indignation  had  swelled  to  its  crest.  Two  men  lay 
bleeding  on  one  of  the  side  streets,  the  one  dead,  the  other 
next  to  dying ; one  on  the  pavement,  the  other  in  the  gutter. 
They  had  said  a moment  before  that  ‘ Lincoln  ought  to  have 
been  shot  long  ago  !’  They  were  not  allowed  to  say  it  again. 
Soon  two  long  pieces  of  scantling  stood  out  above  the  heads 
of  the  crowd,  crossed  at  the  top  like  the  letter  X,  and  a looped 
halter  pendent  from  the  junction,  a dozen  men  following  its 
slow  motion  through  the  masses,  while  ‘Vengeance’  was  the 
cry.  )On  the  right,  suddenly,  the  shout  rose,  ‘The  World  !’ 
‘the  World!’  ‘the  office  of  the  World!’  ‘World!’  ‘World!’ 
r nd  a movement  of  perhaps  eight  thousand  or  ten  thousand 
; urning  their  faces  in  the  direction  of  that  building  began  to 
be  executed.  It  was  a critical  moment.  What  might  come 
no  one  could  tell,  did  that  crowd  get  in  front  of  that  office. 
Police  and  military  would  have  availed  little  or  been  too  late. 
A telegram  had  just  been  read  from  Washington,  ‘ Seward  is 
dying.’  Just  then,  at  that  juncture,  a man  stepped  forward 
with  a small  flag  in  his  hand,  and  beckoned  to  the  crowd. 
‘Another  telegram  from  Washington!’  And  then,  in  the 
awful  stillness  of  the  crisis,  taking  advantage  of  the  hesitation 
of  the  crowd,  whose  steps  had  been  arrested  a moment,  a 
right  arm  was  lifted  skyward,  and  a voice,  clear  and  steady, 
loud  and  distinct,  spoke  out,  ‘ Fellow-citizens  ! Clouds  and 
darkness  are  round  about  Him  ! His  pavilion  is  dark  waters 
and  thick  clouds  of  the  skies  ! Justice  and  judgment  are  the 
establishment  of  His  throne  ! Mercy  and  truth  shall  go  be- 
fore His  face  ! Fellow-citizens  ! God  reigns,  and  the  Gov- 
ernment at  Washington  still  lives!’  The  effect  was  tremen- 
dous. The  crowd  stood  riveted  to  the  ground  with  awe. 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


2 73 


gazing  at  the  motionless  orator,  and  thinking  of  God  and  the 
security  of  the  Government  in  that  hour.  As  the  boiling 
waves  subsides  and  settles  to  the  sea,  when  some  strong  wind 
beats  it  down,  so  the  tumult  of  the  people  sank  and  became 
still.  All  took  it  as  a divine  omen.  It  was  a triumph  of 
eloquence,  inspired  by  the  moment,  such  as  falls  to  but  one 
man’s  lot,  and  that  but  once  in  a century.  The  genius  of 
Webster,  Choate,  Everett,  Seward,  never  reached  it.  What 
might  have  happened  had  the  surging  and  maddened  mob 
been  let  loose,  none  can  tell.  The  man  for  the  crisis  was  on 
the  spot,  more  potent  than  Napoleon’s  guns  at  Paris.  I in- 
quired what  was  his  name.  The  answer  came  in  a low  whis- 
per, ‘ It  is  General  Garfield,  of  Ohio  !’  ” 

It  was  Garfield  who  made  the  speech  when  the 
House  took  official  action  on  the  death  of  the 
President,  and  it  was  he,  again,  who  (February 
1 2th,  1878),  retouched  with  his  eloquent  powers 
the  same  theme  on  receiving  F.  B.  Carpenter’s 
painting  of  Lincoln  and  Emancipation,  on  behalf 
of  the  nation. 

The  reader  pauses  here,  and  recalls  instinctively 
the  terrible  days  with  which  this  July  (1881) 
opened:  the  dastardly  assassination,  the  long  hours 
of  the  President’s  tarrying  at  the  gate  of  death, 
the  suspense  of  the  people,  the  silent  agony  of  a 
nation  ! And  how,  as  it  were  the  mighty  voice  of 
some  past-time  prophet  comes  ringing,  like  the 
cheer  of  a relief  party,  Garfield’s  words,  with 
which  he  held  a whole  city  at  bay:  “Fellow- 
citizens  : God  reiyns,  and  the  Government  at 

o 

Washington  still  lives !”  Was  it  the  hand  of 


274 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


Providence  that  brought  him  so  conspicuously  to 
the  front  at  Lincoln’s  death,  to  point  years  on  to 
his  own  trial  and  agony  from  the  assassin’s  bullet  ? 

It  was  eminently  natural  that  he  should  have 
been  the  chosen  orator  on  such  occasions,  for 
every  act  of  his  life  has  been  a testimony  in  defense 
of  his  country;  that  country  which  he  loves  so 
well.  Speaking  on  its  future,  he  said,  at  Hudson 
College  : 

“ Our  great  dangers  are  not  from  without.  We  do  not  live 
by  the  consent  of  any  other  nation.  We  must  look  within  to 
find  elements  of  danger.  The  first  and  most  obvious  of  these  is 
territorial  expansion,  overgrowth,  and  the  danger  that  we  shall 
break  to  pieces  by  our  own  weight.  This  has  been  the  common- 
place of  historians  and  publicists  for  many  centuries,  and  its 
truth  has  found  many  striking  illustrations  in  the  experience  of 
mankind.  But  we  have  fair  ground  for  believing,  that  new 
conditions  and  new  forces  have  nearly  if  not  wholly  removed' 
the  ground  of  this  danger.  Distance,  estrangement,  isolation 
have  been  overcome  by  the  recent  amazing  growth  in  the 
means  of  intercommunication.  For  political  and  industrial 
purposes  California  and  Massachusetts  are  nearer  neighbors 
to-day,  than  were  Philadelphia  and  Boston  in  the  days  of  the 
Revolution.  It  was  distance,  isolation,  ignorance  of  separate 
parts,  that  broke  the  cohesive  force  of  the  great  empires  of 
antiquity.  Fortunately,  our  greatest  line  of  extension  is  from 
east  to  west,  and  our  pathway  along  the  parallels  of  latitude 
are  not  too  broad  for  safety — for  it  lies  within  the  zone  of 
national  development.  The  Gulf  of  Mexico  is  our  special 
providence  on  the  south.  Perhaps  it  would  be  more  fortu- 
nate for  us  if  the  northern  shore  of  that  gulf  stretched  west- 
ward to  the  Pacific.  If  our  territory  embraced  the  tropics, 
the  sqn  would  be  our  enemy.  ' The  stars  in  their  courses  ’ 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


275 


would  fight  against  us.  Now  these  celestial  forces  are  our 
friends,  and  help  to  make  us  one.  Let  us  hope  the  Republic 
will  be  content  to  maintain  this  friendly  alliance. 

Our  northern  boundary  is  not  yet  wholly  surveyed.  Per- 
haps our  neighbors  across  the  lakes  will  some  day  take  a hint 
from  nature,  and  save  themselves  and  us  the  discomfort  of  an 
artificial  boundary.  Restrained  within  our  present  southern 
limits  with  a population  more  homogenious  than  that  of  any 
other  great  nation,  and  with  a wonderful  power  to  absorb  and 
assimilate  to  our  own  type  the  European  races  that  come 
among  us,  we  have  but  little  reason  to  fear  that  we  shall  be 
broken  up  by  divided  interests  and  internal  feuds,  because 
of  our  great  territorial  extent.  Finally,  our  great  hope  for 
the  future — our  great  safeguard  against  danger,  is  to  be  found 
in  the  general  and  thorough  education  of  our  people  and  in 
the  virtue  which  accompanies  such  education.  And  all  these 
elements  depend,  in  a large  measure,  upon  the  intellectual 
and  moral  culture  of  the  young  men  who  go  out  from  our 
higher  institutions  of  learning.  From  the  standpoint  of  this 
general  culture  we  may  trustfully  encounter  the  perils  that 
assail  us.  Secure  against  dangers  from  abroad,  united  at 
home  by  the  stronger  ties  of  common  interest  and  patriotic 
pride,  holding  and  unifying  our  vast  territory  by  the  most 
potent  forces  of  civilization,  relying  upon  the  intelligent 
strength  and  responsibility  of  each  citizen,  and,  most  of  all, 
upon  the  power  of  truth,  without  undue  arrogance,  we  may 
hope  that  in  the  centuries  to  come  our  Republic  will  continue 
to  live  and  hold  its  high  place  among  the  nations  as 

“ ‘ The  heir  of  all  the  ages  in  the  foremost  files  of  time.’  ” 

From  our  Republic  and  its  future,  we  turn  aside 
to  gather  in  a literary  scrap,  an  address  on  Burns, 
in  which  we  find  this,  from  a fine  comparison  of 
three  of  the  world’s  song-writers  • 


27  6 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


“ To  appreciate  the  genius  and  achievements  of  Robert 
Burns,  it  is  fitting  to  compare  him  with  others  who  have  been 
eminent  in  the  same  field.  In  the  highest  class  of  lyric 
poetry  their  names  stand  eminent.  Their  field  covers  eighteen 
centuries  of  time,  and  the  three  names  are  Horace,  Beranger 
and  Burns.  It  is  an  interesting  and  suggestive  fact,  that  each 
of  these  sprang  from  the  humble  walks  of  life.  Each  may 
be  described  as  one — 

if  ‘ Who  begs  a brother  of  the  earth 
To  give  him  leave  to  toil/ 

and  each  proved  by  his  life  and  achievements  that,  however 
hard  the  lot  of  poverty,  ‘a  man’s  a man  for  a’  that.’ 

“ A great  writer  has  said  that  it  took  the  age  forty  years  to 
catch  Burns,  so  far  was  he  in  advance  of  the  thoughts  of  his 
times.  But  we  ought  not  to  be  surprised  at  the  power  he 
exhibited.  We  are  apt  to  be  misled  when  we  seek  to  find 
the  cause  of  greatness  in  the  schools  and  universities  alone. 
There  is  no  necessary  conflict  between  nature  and  art.  In 
the  highest  and  best  sense  art  is  as  natural  as  nature.  We  do 
not  wonder  at  the  perfect  beauty  of  the  rose,  although  we  may 
not  understand  the  mysteries  by  which  its  delicate  petals  are 
fashioned  and  fed  out  of  the  grosser  elements  of  earth.  We 
do  not  wonder  at  the  perfection  of  the  rose  because  God  is 
the  artist.  When  He  fashioned  the  germ  of  the  rose-tree  He 
made  possible  the  beauties  of  its  flower.  The  earth  and  air 
and  sunshine  conspired  to  unfold  and  adorn  it — to  tint  and 
crown  it  with  peerless  beauty.  When  the  Divine  Artist  would 
produce  a poem,  He  plants  a germ  of  it  in  a human  soul,  and 
out  of  that  soul  the  poem  springs  and  grows  as  from  the  rose- 
tree  the  rose. 

“Burns  was  a child  of  nature.  He  lived  close  to  her  beat- 
ing heart,  and  all  the  rich  and  deep  sympathies  of  life  glowed 
and  lived  in  his  heart.  ' The  beauties  of  earth,  air  and  sky 
filled  and  transfigured  him. 

“ * He  did  but  sing  because  he  must, 

And  piped  but  as  the  linnets  sing/ 


“With  the  light  of  his  genius  he  glorified  ‘ the  banks  and 
braes’  of  his  native  land,  and,  speaking  for  the  universal 
human  heart,  has  set  its  sweetest  thought  to  music : 

“ ‘ Whose  echoes  roll  from  soul  to  soul. 

And  grow  forever  and  forever/  " 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


Here  we  will  add  a metrical  version  of  the 
ode  in  Horace’s  First  Book,  which  General 
field  made  in  1873  : 

TO  THE  SHIP  WHICH  CARRIED  VIRGIL  TO  ATHENS. 

I. 

So  may  the  powerful  goddess  of  Cypras, 

So  may  the  brothers  of  Helen,  turn  stars. 

So  may  the  father  and  ruler  of  tempest 
(Restraining  all  others,  save  only  Iapix). 

II. 

Guide  thee,  O ship,  on  thy  journey,  that  owest 
To  Attica's  shores  Virgil  trusted  to  thee. 

I pray  thee  restore  him,  in  safety  restore  him. 

And  saving  him,  save  me  the  half  of  my  soul. 

m. 

Stout  oak  and  brass  triple  surrounded  his  bosom 
Who  first  to  the  waves  of  the  merciless  sea 
Committed  his  frail  bark.  He  feared  not  Africus, 

Fierce  battling  the  gales  of  the  furious  North. 

IV. 

Nor  feared  he  the  gloom  of  the  rain-bearing  Hyads, 

Nor  the  rage  of  fierce  Notus.  a tyrant  than  whom 
No  storm-god  that  rules  or  the  broad  Adriatic 
Is  mightier,  its  billows  to  rouse  or  to  calm. 

V. 

What  form,  or  what  pathway  of  death  him  affrighted, 

Who  faced  with  dry  eyes  monsters  swimming  the  deep, 

Who  gazed  without  fear  on  the  storm-swollen  billows. 

And  the  lightning-scarred  rocks,  grim  with  death  on  the  shore? 

VT. 

In  vain  did  the  prudent  Creator  dissever 
• The  lands  from  the  lands  by  the  desolate  sea, 

If  o'er  its  broad  bosom,  to  mortals  forbidden, 

Still  leap,  all  profanely,  our  impious  keels. 

VII. 

Recklessly  bold  to  encounter  all  dangers, 

Through  deeds  God  forbidden  still  rushes  our  race ; 

The  son  of  Iapelus,  Heaven-defying, 

By  impious  fraud  to  the  nations  brought  fire. 

vm. 

When  fire  was  thus  stolen  from  regions  celestial, 

Decay  smote  the  earth  and  brought  down  in  his  train 
A new  summoned  cohort  of  fevers  o'erbrooding, 

And  Fate,  till  then  slow  and  reluctant  to  strike, 

IX. 

Gave  wings  to  his  speed  and  swift  death  to  his  victims. 

Bold  Daedalus  tried  the  void  realms  of  the  air. 

Borne  upward  on  pinions  not  given  to  mortals, 

The  labors  of  Hercules  broke  into  Hell. 

x. ; 

Naught  is  too  high  for  the  daring  of  mortals. 

Even  Heaven  we  seek  in  our  folly  to  scale  : 

By  our  own  impious  crimes  we  permit  not  the  thunder 
To  sleep  without  flame  in  the  right  hand  of  Jove. 


2 77 

third 

Gar- 


278 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

QUESTIONS  OF  POLITICAL  ECONOMY. 

CONTEMPORANEOUSLY  with  his  entry 
into  Congress,  Garfield  began  a course  of 
severe  study  of  financial  and  political 
economy,  going  home  every  evening  to  his  modest 
lodgings  on  Thirteenth  Street,  with  an  armful  of 
books  borrowed  from  the  Congressional  Library, 
into  which  he  deeply  burrowed.  This  study  was 
superbly  lucrative.  For  his  financial  views  have 
always  been  sound  and  based  on  the  firm  founda- 
tion of  honest  money  and  unsullied  national 
honor.  His  record  in  the  legislation  concerning 
these  subjects  is  without  a flaw.  No  man  in  Con- 
gress made  a more  consistent  and  unwavering 
fight  against  the  paper  money  delusions  that 
flourished  during  the  decade  following  the  war, 
and  in  favor  of  specie  payments  and  the  strict  ful- 
fillment of  the  nation’s  obligations  to  its  creditors. 
His  speeches  became  the  financial  gospel  of  the 
Republican  party. 

We  will  quote  some  texts  from  this  gospel.  In 
the  course  of  his  strenuous  fight  against  the  re- 
peal of  the  resumption  act,  Mr.  Garfield  said: 

“The  men  of  1862  knew  the  dangers  from  sad  experience 
in  our  history;  and,  like  Ulysses,  lashed  themselves  to  the 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


2 79 

mast  of  public  credit  when  they  embarked  upon  the  stormy 
and  boisterous  sea  of  inflated  paper  money,  that  they  might 
not  be  beguiled  by  the  siren  song  that  would  be  sung  to  them 
when  they  were  afloat  on  the  wild  waves. 

“ But  the  times  have  changed  ; new  men  are  on  deck,  men 
who  have  forgotten  the  old  pledges,  and  now  only  twelve 
years  have  passed  (for  as  late  as  1865  this  House,  with  but  six 
dissenting  votes,  resolved  again  to  stand  by  the  old  ways  and 
bring  the  country  back  to  sound  money),  only  twelve  years 
have  passed,  and  what  do  we  find?  We  find  a group  of 
theorists  and  doctrinaires  who  look  upon  the  wisdom  of  the 
fathers  as  foolishness.  We  find  some  who  advocate  what  they 
call  ‘absolute  money,’  who  declare  that  a piece  of  paper 
stamped  a ‘dollar’  is  a dollar;  that  gold  and  silver  are  a part 
of  the  barbarism  of  the  past,  which  ought  to  be  forever 
abandoned.  We  hear  them  declaring  that  resumption  is  a 
delusion  and  a snare.  We  hear  them  declaring  that  the  eras 
of  prosperity  are  the  eras  of  paper  money.  They  point  us  to 
all  times  of  inflation  as  periods  of  blessing  to  the  people  and 
prosperity  to  business ; and  they  ask  us  no  more  to  vex  their 
ears  with  any  allusion  to  the  old  standard — the  money  of  the 
Constitution.  Let  the  wild  swarm  of  financial  literature  that 
has  sprung  into  life  within  the  last  twelve  years,  witness  how 
widely  and  how  far  we  have  drifted.  We  have  lost  our  old 
moorings,  and  have  thrown  overboard  our  old  compass ; we 
sail  by  alien  stars,  looking  not  for  the  haven,  but  are  afloat  on 
a harborless  sea. 

“Suppose  you  undo  the  work  that  Congress  has  attempted 
— to  resume  specie  payment — what  will  result?  You  will  de- 
preciate the  value  of  the  greenback.  Suppose  it  falls  ten 
cents  on  the  dollar?  You  will  have  destroyed  ten  per  cent, 
of  the  value  of  every  deposit  in  the  savings  banks,  ten  per 
cent,  of  every  life  insurance  policy  and  fire  insurance  policy, 
of  every  pension  to  the  soldier,  and  of  every  day’s  wages  of 
every  laborer  in  the  nation.  The  trouble  with  our  greenback 
dollar  is  this : it  has  two  distinct  functions,  one  a purchasing 


28o 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


power,  and  the  other  a debt-paying  power.  As  a debt-paying 
power,  it  is  equal  to  one  hundred  cents;  that  is,  to  pay  an 
old  debt.  A greenback  dollar  will,  by  law,  discharge  our 
hundred  cents  of  debt.  But  no  law  can  give  it  purchasing 
power  in  the  general  market  of  the  world,  unless  it  represents 
a known  standard  of  coin  value.  Now,  what  we  want  is,  that 
these  two  qualities  of  our  greenback  dollar  shall  be  made 
equal — its  debt-paying  power  and  its  general  purchasing 
power.  When  these  are  equal,  the  problems  of  our  currency 
are  solved,  and  not  till  then.  Summing  it  all  up  in  a word,  the 
struggle  now  pending  in  this  House  is,  on  the  one  hand,  to 
make  the  greenback  better,  and  on  the  other,  to  make  it 
worse.  The  resumption  act  is  making  it  better  every  day. 
Repeal  that  act,  and  you  make  it  indefinitely  worse.  In  the 
name  of  every  man  who  wants  his  own  when  he  has  earned  it, 
I demand  that  we  do  not  make  the  wages  of  the  poor  man  to 
shrivel  in  his  hands  after  he  has  earned  them ; but  that  his 
money  shall  be  made  better  and  better,  until  the  plow-holder’s 
money  shall  be  as  good  as  the  bondholder’s  money  ; until  our 
standard  is  one,  and  there  is  no  longer  one  money  for  the 
rich  and  another  for  the  poor.” 

Privately  he  wrote  to  Mr.  Hinsdale: 

“Washington,  D.  C.,  December  15th,  1867. 

n I appreciate  what  you  say  in  reference  to  the  currency  question.  My 
convictions  on  some  points  of  that  subject  are  so  clear  that  I have  a very 
plain  duty  to  do,  from  which  I dare  not  flinch,  were  I coward  enough  to 
desire  to. 

“ The  Phillipses  are  quite  mistaken  in  supposing  that  theirs  is  a case 
without  precedent.  On  the  contrary,  there  are  an  abundance  of  precedents, 
both  in  our  own  and  other  countries,  and  they  all  teach  the  same  lesson. 
Financial  subjects  are  nuts  and  clover  for  demagogues.  Men’s  first  opinions 
are  almost  always  wrong  in  regard  to  them,  as  they  are  in  regard  to 
astronomy,  and  he  who  reads  the  truths  that  lie  deepest  is  in  imminent 
danger  of  being  tabooed  for  a madman. 

“ * * * if  may  be  that  before  very  long  that  the  only  escape  out  of 

the  Butler-Pendleton  bond  repudiation  scheme  on  the  one  hand,  and  the 
contraction  and  inflation  fight  on  the  other,  is  by  the  shortest  road  to  specie 
payments,  when  the  contractionists  will  be  willing  to  let  the  inflationists 
have  their  fill  of  paper  money  so  long  as  they  redeem  it,  and  when  the  cry 
that  the  soldier  or  his  widow  is  paid  in  poorer  money  than  the  bondholder 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


28l 


would  be  ended.  The  early  return  to  specie  payments  would  settle  more 
difficult  and  dangerous  questions  than  any  one  such  act  has  done  in  history, 
so  far  as  I know.  I am  glad  to  have  the  opportunity  of  standing  up  against 
a rabble  of  men  who  hasten  to  make  weathercocks  of  themselves. 

“Think  of  this  . December  8th,  1865,  the  House  passed  the  following 
resolution  by  ayes  144,  noes  6 : ‘ Resolved , That  this  House  cordially 

concurs  in  the  views  of  the  Secretary  of  the  Treasury  in  relation  to  the  ne- 
cessity of  a contraction  of  the  currency,  with  a view  to  as  early  resumption 
K specie  payments  as  the  business  interests  of  the  country  will  permit,  and 
we  hereby  pledge  co-operation  to  this  end  as  speedily  as  possible.’ 

“ Ten  years  ago  but  thirty-two  men  rvere  found  to  vote  against  a bill  to 
stop  contraction  altogether.  There  are  near  a hundred  of  the  same  men 
who  voted  on  the  two  measures.” 

He  has  never  wavered  upon  this  issue.  He 
voted  to  sustain  the  credit  of  the  Government  in 
all  stages  of  the  finance  question.  Many  faltered, 
he  always  stood  firm.  In  1870  he  pressed  a reso- 
lution upon  Congress  pledging  that  body  and  the 
country  to  an  honorable  performance  of  its  con- 
tracts, and  in  1876,  when  the  “fiat”  rage  was  upon 
the  people,  and  his  party  friends  in  Ohio  fell  away 
from  him  in  all  directions,  he  stood  firm.  To  all 
protests  and  appeals  he  had  but  one  answer,  “It 
is  honorable  ; it  is  just ; it  is  right.  Standing  here 
may  defeat  my  nomination,  may  defeat  my  elec- 
tion ; but  I would  rather  be  beaten  in  right  than 
succeed  in  wrong.”  In  his  speech  at  Missillon, 
O.,  August  24th,  1878,  speaking  of  resumption,  he 
said  : 

“It  is  right  because  the  public  faith  demands  it;  it  is  as 
unpatriotic  as  it  is  dishonest  to  attempt  to  prevent  it.  The 
highest  interests  both  of  labor  and  capital  demand  it.” 


Referring  in  the  same  speech  to  the  substitu- 
tion of  greenbacks  for  national  bank  notes,  h« 
said : 


282 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OP 


“ TTiis  makes  a complete  divorce  between  the  business  of 
the  country  and  the  volume  of  its  circulating  mediums.  Are 
we  prepared,  under  a Government  which  our  fathers  meant 
should  be  a hard -money  Government,  to  banish  gold  and  sil- 
ver from  circulation  in  the  country  for  all  time  to  come,  and 
do  the  business  of  the  country  upon  nothing  but  irredeemable 
paper,  depending  for  its  volume  upon  the  will  and  caprice  of 
the  moment  or  upon  the  views  of  members  of  Congress  seek- 
ing re-election  or  aspiring  to  higher  places?” 

When  Mr.  Garfield  entered  Congress,  he  ob- 
served that  no  one  devoted  himself  to  an  exami- 
nation of  the  appropriations  in  detail,  and  in  order 
to  acquaint  himself  so  as  to  vote  intelligently  upon 
•them,  he  submitted  them  to  a careful  analysis. 
This  analysis  he  yearly  delivered  to  the  House, 
and  it  was  from  the  start  well  received.  It  came 
in  time  to  be  called  “Garfield’s  budget  speech.” 
Now  each  year  he  examines  the  appropriations 
carefully — being  a member  of  the  committee — 
and  then  makes  his  speech,  which  is  always  ac- 
cepted as  the  exposition  of  the  nation’s  conditior. 
By  its  means  and  his  committee  work,  he  hac 
largely  reduced  the  expenditures  of  the  Govern- 
ment and  thoroughly  reformed  the  system  of  esti- 
mates and  appropriations,  providing  for  closer 
accountability  on  the  part  of  those  who  spend  the 
public  money,  and  a clear  knowledge  on  the  part 
of  those  who  vote  it  of  what  it  is  used  for. 

Illustrating  this  he  said  on  one  occasion : 

“The  necessary  expenditures  of  the  Government  form  the 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


283 

base  line  from  which  we  measure  the  amount  of  our  taxation 
required,  and  on  which  we  base  our  system  of  finance.  We 
. have  frequently  heard  it  remarked  since  the  session  began, 
that  Ave  should  make  cur  expenditures  come  within  our  reve- 
nues-— that  we  should  ‘ cut  our  garment  according  to  our 
cloth.  ’ This  theory  may  be  correct  when  applied  to  private 
affairs,  but  it  is  not  applicable  to  the  wants  of  nations.  Our 
national  expenditures  should  be  measured  by  the  real  necessi- 
ties and  the  proper  needs  of  the  Government.  We  should  cut 
our  garment  so  as  to  fit  the  person  to  be  clothed.  If  he  be  a 
giant  we  must  provide  cloth  sufficient  for  a fitting  garment. 

“The  Committee  on  Appropriations  are  seeking  earnestly 
to  reduce  the  expenditures  of  the  Government,  but  they  reject 
the  doctrine  that  they  should  at  all  hazards  reduce  the  expend- 
itures to  the  level  of  the  revenues,  however  small  those  reve- 
nues may  be.  They  have  attempted  rather  to  ascertain  what 
are  the  real  and  vital  necessities  of  the  Government  3 to  find 
what  amount  of  money  will  suffice  ter  meet  all  its  honorable 
obligations,  to  carry  on  all  its  necessary  and  essential  func- 
tions, and  to  keep  alive  those  public  enterprises  which  the 
country  desires  its  Government  to  undertake  and  accomplish. 
When  the  amount  of  expenses  necessary  to  meet  these  objects 
is  ascertained,  that  amount  should  be  appropriated,  and  ways 
and  means  for  procuring  that  amount  should  be  provided. 
On  some  accounts,  it  is  unfortunate  that  our  work  of  appro- 
priations is  not  connected  directly  with  the  work  of  taxation. 
If  this  were  so,  the  necessity  of  taxation  would  be  a constant 
check  upon  extravagance,  and  the  practice  of  economy  would 
promise,  as  its  immediate  result,  the  pleasure  of  reducing 
- taxation.  ’ ’ 

Referring-  to  Garfield’s  tariff  record,  it  is 
both  just  and  proper  that  we  should  state  the  pro- 
tectionists of  the  country  who  have  kept  watch 
over  tariff  legislation  during  the  past  twenty 


284 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


years,  and  who  have  assisted  to  shape  and  main* 
tain  the  present  tariff,  are  perfectly  satisfied  with 
his  tariff  votes  and  speeches.  They  and  all  other 
protectionists  have,  indeed,  abundant  reason  to  be 
thankful  to  him  for  valuable  assistance  rendered 
to  the  cause  of  home  industry  when  it  was  in 
serious  peril  from  free-trade  attacks.  His  votes 
and  speeches  have  been  uniformly  and  constantly 
in  favor  of  the  protective  policy.-  His  first  tariff 
speech  in  Congress  was  made  in  1866.  In  this 
speech  he  carefully  defined  his  position  on  the 
question  of  protection,  as  follows : 

“I  hold  that  a properly  adjusted  competition  between 
home  and  foreign  products  is  the  best  gauge  to  regulate  in- 
ternational trade.  Duties  should  be  so  high  that  our  manufac- 
turers can  fairly  compete  with  the  foreign  product , but  not  so 
high  as  to  enable  them  to  drive  out  the  foreign  article,  enjoy 
a monopoly  of  the  trade,  and  regulate  the  price  as  they 
please.  This  is  my  doctrine  of  protection.  If  Congress 
pursues  this  line  of  policy  steadily,  we  shall,  year  by  year, 
approach  more  nearly  to  the  basis  of  free  trade,  because  we 
shall  be  more  nearly  able  to  compete  with  other  nations  on 
equal  terms.  I am  for  a protection  that  leads  to  ultimate  free 
trade.  I am  for  that  free  trade  which  can  only  be  achieved 
through  a reasonable  protection.  ’ ’ 

In  his  next  tariff  speech,  delivered  in  1870,  upon 
General  Schenck’s  tariff  bill,  which  provoked  a 
long  and  bitter  controversy,  General  Garfield  ad- 
vised the  protectionists  of  the  House  to  assent  to 
a moderate  reduction  of  the  war  duties  which 
were  then  in  force ; for  the  reason  that  they  were 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


285 


higher  than  was  then  necessary  for  the  protection 
of  our  industries,  and,  being  so,  they  gave  occa- 
sion for  unfriendly  criticism  of  the  protective 
policy,  from  which  it  should  be  relieved.  He  said: 

“After  studying  the  whole  subject  as  carefully  as  I am  able, 
I am  firmly  of  the  opinion  that  the  wisest  thing  that  the  pro- 
tectionists in  this  House  can  do  is  to  unite  in  a moderate  re- 
duction of  duties  on  imported  articles.  He  is  not  a faithful 
representative  who  merely  votes  for  the  highest  rate  proposed 
in  order  to  show  on  the  record  that  he  voted  for  the  highest 
figure,  and,  therefore,  is  a sound  protectionist.  He  is  the 
wisest  man  .who  sees  the  tides  and  currents  of  public  opinion, 
and  uses  his  best  efforts  to  protect  the  industry  of  the  people 
against  sudden  collapses  and  sudden  changes.  Now,  if  I do 
not  misunderstand  the  signs  of  the  times,  unless  we  do  this  our- 
selves, prudently  and  wisely,  we  shall  before  long  be  com- 
pelled to  submit  to  a violent  reduction,  made  rudely  and 
without  discrimination,  which  will  shock  if  not  shatter  . ’1 
our  protected  industries. 

“ The  great  want  of  industry  is  a stable  policy  ; and  it  is  a 
significant  comment  on  the  character  of  our  legislation  that 
Congress  has  become  a terror  to  the  business  men  of  the 
country.  This  very  day,  the  great  industries  of  the  nation 
are  standing  still,  half  paralyzed  at  the  uncertainty  which 
hangs  over  our  proceedings  here.  A distinguished  citizen  of 
my  own  district  has  lately  written  me  this  significant  sen- 
tence: ‘If  the  laws  of  God  and  nature  were  as  vacillating 
and  uncertain  as  the  laws  of  Congress  in  regard  to  the  busi- 
ness of  its  people,  the  universe  would  soon  fall  into  chaos.’ 

“ Examining  .thus  the  possibilities  of  the  .situation,  I be- 
lieve that  the  true  course  for  the  friends  of  protection  to  pur- 
sue is  to  redtfce  the  rates  on  imports  when  we  can  justly  and 
safely  do  so  ; and,  accepting  neither  of  the  extreme  doctrines 
urged  on  this  floor,  endeavor  to  establish  a stable  policy  that 
will  commend  itself  to  all  patriotic  and  thoughtful  people.” 


286 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


General  Schenck’s  bill  passed  the  House,  June 
6th,  1870,  General  Garfield  voting  for  it  in  com- 
pany with  all  the  protectionists  in  that  body.  It 
passed  the  Senate  during  the  same  month,  such 
leading  protectionists  as  Senators  Howe,  Scott, 
Morrill,  of  Vermont,  Sherman  and  Wilson,  voting 
for  it.  The  bill  reduced  the  duties  on  a lone  list  of 
articles — pig  iron,  for  instance,  from  nine  dollars  to 
seven  dollars — but  it  was  a triumph  of  the  pro- 
tective policy  and  a disastrous  defeat  of  the  free- 
traders and  revenue  reformers,  who  had  favored 
still  lower  duties.  It  embodied  provisions  that  are 
retained  in  the  existing  tariff,  with  which  all  pro- 
tectionists are  entirely  satisfied. 

In  1872,  two  years  after  the  passage  of  General 
Schenck’s  bill,  a bill  to  reduce  duties  on  imports 
and  to  reduce  internal  taxes  was  reported  to  the 
House  of  Representatives,  by  Mr.  Dawes,  the 
chairman  of  the  Ways  and  Means  Committee, 
and  after  discussion  it  passed  by  a large  majority, 
such  prominent  protectionists  as  Dawes,  Frye, 
Foster,  Frank  W.  Palmer,  Ellis  H.  Roberts,  Wil- 
liam A.  Wheeler,  and  George  F.  Hoar  voting  for 
it.  General  Garfield  voted  for  it.  Judge  Kelley 
and  sixty  other  protectionists  voted  against  it.  It 
became  a law,  passed  the  Senate  by  a two-thirds 
vote,  such  leading  protectionists  as  fmrry,  Howe, 
the  two  Morrills,  Morton,  Sherman. and  Wilson, 
supporting  it.  Protectionists,  as  will  be  seen,  were 
pot  united  upon  the  merits  of  this  bill,  which. 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


287 


among  other  provisions,  reduced  the  duty  on  many 
iron  and  steel  products  ten  per  cent.,  but  there 
was  no  conflict  of  principle  involved  in  their  dif- 
ferences— nothing  but  a question  of  expediency. 

Says  a recent  writer  on  this  subject,  giving  a 
page  of  its  history : 

“In  1875,  three  years  after  the  passage  of  the  bill  just  re- 
ferred to,  Mr.  Dawes,  still  chairman  of  the  Ways  and  Means 
Committee,  reported  a bill  to  further  protect  the  sinking  fund 
and  to  provide  for  the  exigencies  of  the  Government,  which 
provided  among  other  things  for  the  restoration  of  the  ten 
per  cent,  which  had  been  taken  from  the  duties  on  iron  and 
steel  by  the  act  of  1872.  This  bill  passed  the  House  by  a 
close  vote,  General  Garfield  voting  for  it,  as  did  nearly  every 
protectionist  in  the  House.  The  bill  passed  the  Senate  and 
became  a law,  the  vote  being  very  close — yeas,  30 ; nays,  29. 
The  protectionists  in  the  Senate  were  almost  unanimously  in 
favor  of  it.  Mr.  Sherman  made  a strong  speech  against  it, 
and  Mr.  Scott  and  Mr.  Frelinghuysen  very  ably  supported  it. 
Mr.  Sherman  voted  against  it.  The  passage  of  this  bill  gave 
great  encouragement  to  our  prostrated  iron  and  steel  in- 
dustries. 

“The  next  tariff  measure  that  came  before  Congress  was 
the  bill  of  Mr.  Morrison,  which  was  presented  in  the  House 
in  1876,  but  was  so  vigorously  opposed  that  it  never  reached 
the  dignity  of  a square  vote  upon  its  merits.  Two  years  after- 
ward  Mr.  Wood  undertook  the  preparation  of  a tariff  bill 
which  greatly  reduced  duties  on  most  articles  of  foreign  man- 
ufacture, and  which  he  confidently  hoped  might  become  a 
law.  This  bill  possessed  more  vitality  than  that  of  Mr.  Mor- 
rison’s, and  it  was  with  great  difficulty  that  the  friends  of  pro- 
tection were  able  to  secure  its  defeat.  On  the  4th  of  June 
General  Garfield  delivered  an  elaborate  speech  against  it  W 
committee  of  the  whole,  in  the  course  of  which  he  said: 


288 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


“ ‘ I would  have  the  duty  so  adjusted  that  every  great  Amer- 
ican industry  can  fairly  live  and  make  fair  profits.  The  chief 
charge  I make . against  this  bill  is  that  it  seeks  to  cripple  the 
protective  features  of  the  law.’ 

“He  further  said,  in  concluding  his  speech: 

“ ‘A  hill  so  radical  in  its  character,  so  dangerous  to  our  busi- 
ness prosperity,  would  work  infinite  mischief  at  this  time, 
when  the  country  is  just  recovering  itself  from  a long  period 
of  depression  and  getting  again  upon  solid  ground,  just  com- 
ing up  out  of  the  wild  sea  of  panic  and  distress  which  has 
tossed  us  so  long. 

“ ‘ Let  it  be  remembered  that  twenty-two  per  cent,  of  all  the 
laboring  people  of  this  country  are  artisans  engaged  in  manu- 
factures. Their  culture  has  been  fostered  by  our  tariff  laws. 
It  is  their  pursuits  and  the  skill  which  they  have  developed 
that  produced  the  glory  of  our  Centennial  Exhibition.  To 
them  the  country  owes  the  splendor  of  the  position  it  holds 
before  the  world  more  than  to  any  other  equal  number  of  our 
citizens.  If  this  bill  becomes  a law,  it  strikes  down  their  occu- 
pation and  throws  into  the  keenest  distress  the  brightest  and 
best  elements  of  our  population. 

“ ‘When  the  first  paragraph  has  been  read  I will  propose  to 
strike  out  the  enacting  clause.  If  the  committee  will  do  that 
we  can  kill  the  bill  to-day.’ 

“ On  the  day  following  the  delivery  of  General  Garfield’s 
speech  his  suggestion  to  strike  out  the  enacting  clause  was 
carried  into  effect,  upon  motion  of  Mr.  Conger,  and  the  bill 
was  killed ; yeas,  134;  nays,  121.  The  majority  against  the 
bill  was  only  13. 

“During  the  recent  session  of  Congress  a vigorous  effort  was 
made  to  break  down  the  tariff  by  piecemeal  legislation.  ‘ Di- 
vide and  conquer  ’ was  the  motto  of  the  free-traders.  They 
were  defeated  in  every  effort  to  reduce  duties,  and  in  every 
instance  they  encountered  General  Garfield’s  opposition. 
Iron  and  steel  manufacturers  have  good  cause  to  remember 
his  vote  in  the  Ways  and  Means  Committee  last  March  on 
the  bill  of  Mr.  Covert  to  reduce  the  duty  on  steel  rails.  Gen- 
eral Garfield  voted  with  Judge  Kelley  and  Messrs.  Conger, 
Frye,  Felton,  Gibson  and  Phelps  against  any  reduction,  and 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD . 


289 

that  was  the  end  of  Mr.  Covert’s  bill — the  vote  being  seven 
against  to  six  in  favor  of  it.  Had  the  bill  prevailed  the  en- 
tire line  of  duties  on  iron  and  steel  and  other  manufactures 
would  have  been  seriously  endangered.” 

A word  on  another  question  of  political  econ- 
omy to  close  this  chapter  appropriately,  remem- 
bering the  national  work  this  year,  is  found  in 
General  Garfield’s  speech  urging  the  importance 
of  the  last  census  : 

“ The  developments  of  statistics  are  causing  history  to  be 
re-written.  Till  recently  the  historian  studied  nature  in  the 
aggregate,  and  gave  us  only  the  story  of  princes,  dynasties, 
sieges  and  battles.  Of  the  people  themselves — the  great 
social  body,  with  life,  growth,  forces,  elements,  etc. — he  told 
us  nothing.  Now,  statistical  inquiry  leads  him  into  the 
hovels,  homes,  workshops,  mines,  fields,  prisons,  hospitals, 
and  all  places  where  human  nature  displays  its  weakness  and 
strength.  In  these  explorations  he  discovers  the  seed  of  na- 
tional growth  and  decay,  and  thus  becomes  the  prophet  of  his 
generation. 

“Statistical  science  is  indispensable  to  modern  statesman- 
ship. In  legislation,  as  in  physical  science,  it  is  beginning  to 
be  understood  that  we  can  control  terrestrial  forces  only  by 
obeying  their  laws.  The  legislator  must  formulate  in  his  sta- 
tistics not  only  the  national  will,  but  also  those  great  laws  of 
social  life  revealed  by  statistics.  He  must  study  society  rather 
than  black-letter  learning.  He  must  learn  the  truth  that  ‘so- 
ciety usually  prepares  the  crime,  and  the  criminal  is  only  the 
instrument  that  completes  it;’  that  statesmanship  consists 
rather  in  removing  causes  than  in  punishing  or  evading 
results.” 


17 


290 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


CHAPTER  XXII. 


ARRAIGNING  HIS  ENEMIES. 


ENERAL  GARFIELD  has  ever  dealt 


his  enemies  in  Congress  sledge-hammer 

o o 


blows,  and  yet  not  with  any  malignity  or 
from  the  sly  hand  of  revenge.  His  tongue  has 
only  been  moved  by  what  he  considered  the  ne- 
cessities of  the  situation.  The  inheritance  of  tra- 
dition from  his  district  would,  if  no  other  cause 
had  prompted,  have  allied  him  with  the  North 
when  the  Rebellion  became  a question  for  each 
and  every  one.  His  vigorous,  clear  mind  needed 
no  words  to  shape  its  course.  Whenever  the 
Union  was  concerned  he  answered  every  call  with 
electric  readiness. 

One  of  his  early  speeches  in  Congress  gave 
him  high  oratorical  rank.  Alexander  Long,  of 
Ohio,  delivered  in  1864  an  exceedingly  ultra  Peace- 
Democratic  speech — proposing  that  Congress 
should  recognize  the  Southern  Confederacy.  The 
speech  attracted  marked  attention,  and  by  com- 
mon consent  it  was  left  to  the  young  member,  so 
fresh  from  the  battle-fields  of  his  country,  to  reply. 
The  moment  Long  took  his  seat,  Garfield  rose. 
His  opening  sentence  thrilled  his  listeners.  In  a 
moment  he  was  surrounded  by  a crowd  of  mem- 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


29I 


bers  from  the  remoter  seats,  and  in  the  midst  of 
great  excitement  and  wild  applause  from  his  side 
he  poured  forth  an  invective  rarely  surpassed  in 
that  body  for  power  and  elegance : 

“Mr.  Chairman:  I am  reminded  by  the  ocurrences  of  this 
afternoon  of  two  characters  in  the  War  of  the  Revolution,  as 
compared  with  two  others  in  the  war  of  to-day. 

“The  first  was  Lord  Fairfax,  who  dwelt  near  the  Potomac,  a 
few  miles  from  us.  When  the  great  contest  was  opened  be- 
tween the  mother  country  and  the  colonies,  Lord  Fairfax, 
after  a protracted  struggle  with  his  own  heart,  decided  that 
he  must  go  with  the  mother  country.  He  gathered  his  man- 
tle »bout  him  and  went  over  grandly  and  solemnly. 

“There  was  another  man,  who  cast  in  his  lot  with  the 
struggling  colonists  and  continued  with  them  till  the  war  was 
well-nigh  ended.  In  an  hour  of  darkness  that  just  preceded 
the  glory  of  morning,  he  hatched  the  treason  to  surrender  for- 
ever all  that  had  been  gained  by  the  enemies  of  his  country. 
Benedict  Arnold  was  that  man. 

“Fairfax  and  Arnold  find  their  parallel  in  the  struggle  of 
to-day. 

“When  this  war  was  begun  many  good  men  stood  hesitating 
and  doubting  what  they  ought  to  do.  Robert  E.  Lee  sat  in 
his  house  across  the  river  here,  doubting  and  delaying,  and 
going  off  at  last  almost  tearfully  to  join  the  army  of  his  State. 
He  reminds  one  in  some  respects,  of  Lord  Fairfax,  the  stately 
royalist  of  the  Revolution. 

“But  now,  when  tens  of  thousands  of  brave  souls  have  gone 
up  to  God  under  the  shadow  of  the  flag;  when  thousands 
more,  maimed  and  shattered  in  the  contest,  are  sadly  awaiting 
the  deliverance  of  death;  now,  when  three  years  of  terrific 
warfare  have  raged  over  us,  when  our  armies  have  pushed  the 
rebellion  back  over  mountains  and  rivers,  and  crowded  it  into 
narrow  limits  until  a wall  of  fire  girds  it ; now,  when  the  up- 


292 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


lifted  hand  of  a majestic  people  is  about  to  hurl  the  bolts  of 
its  conquering  power  upon  the  rebellion,  now  in  the  quiet  of 
this  hall,  hatched  in  the  lowest  depths  of  a similar  dark  trea- 
son, there  rises  a Benedict  Arnold  and  proposes  to  surrender 
all  up,  body  and  spirit,  the  nation  and  the  flag,  its  genius  and 
its  honor,  now  and  forever  to  the  accursed  traitors  to  our 
country.  And  that  proposition  comes — God  forgive  and  pity 
my  beloved  State — it  comes  from  a citizen  of  the  time-honored 
and  loyal  commonwealth  of  Ohio. 

“I  implore  you,  brethren,  in  this  House,  to  believe  that 
not  many  births  ever  gave  pangs  to  my  mother  State,  such  as 
she  suffered  when  that  traitor  was  born  ! I beg  you  not  to 
believe  that  on  the  soil  of  that  State  such  another  growth  has 
ever  deformed  the  face  of  nature,  and  darkened  the  light  of 
God’s  day !” 

The  speech  continued  in  the  same  strain, 
polished  and  powerful.  Its  delivery  upon  the  spur 
of  the  moment,  in  immediate  reply  to  an  elaborate 
effort,  which  had  taken  him  as  well  as  the  rest  of 
the  House  by  surprise,  won  him  a crowning 
credit. 

Four  years  ago  he  handles  the  same  question, 
as  it  reappears,  in  another  and  less  objectionable 
form.  In  the  course  of  a speech,  “ Can  the  Dem- 
ocratic Party  be  Safely  Intrusted  with  the  Adminis- 
tration of  the  Government,”  in  answer  to  Mr. 
Lamar,  the  Great  Republican  said : 

“ I share  all  that  gentleman’s  aspirations  for  peace,  for 
good  government  at  the  South — and  I believe  I can  safely  as- 
sure him  that  the  great  majority  of  the  nation  shares  the  same 
aspirations.  But  he  will  allow  me  to  say  that  he  has  not  fully 
stated  the  elements  of  the  great  problem  to  be  solved  by  the 


293 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 

statesmanship  of  to-day.  The  actual  field  is  much  broader 
than  the  view  he  has  taken.  And  before  we  can  agree  that 
the  remedy  he  proposes  is  an  adequate  one,  we  must  take  in 
the  whole  field,  comprehend  all  the  conditions  of  the  prob- 
lem, and  then  see  if  his  remedy  is  sufficient.  The  change  he 
proposes  is  not  like  the  ordinary  change  of  a ministry  in 
England,  when  the  Government  is  defeated  on  a tax  bill  or 
some  routine  measure  of  legislation.  He  proposes  to  turn 
over  the  custody  and  management  of  the  Government  to 
a party  which  has  persistently,  and  with  the  greatest  bit- 
terness, resisted  all  the  great  changes  of  the  last  fifteen 
years — changes  which  were  the  necessary  results  of  a vast 
revolution — a revolution  in  national  policy,  in  social  and 
political  ideas ; a revolution  whose  causes  were  not  the 
work  of  a day  nor  a year,  but  of  generations  and  centuries. 

“ The  scope  and  character  of  that  mighty  revolution  must 
form  the  basis  of  our  judgment  when  we  inquire  whether 
such  a change  as  he  proposes  is  safe  and  wise.  But  that  is 
not  all  of  the  situation.  On  the  other  hand,  we  see  the 
North,  after  leaving  its  three  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dead 
upon  the  field  of  battle  and  bringing  home  its  five  hundred 
thousand  maimed  and  wounded  to  be  cared  for,  crippled  in  its 
industries,  staggering  under  the  tremendous  burden  of  public 
and  private  debt,  and  both  North  and  South  weighted  with  un- 
paralleled burdens  and  losses — the  whole  nation  suffering 
from  that  loosening  of  the  bonds  of  social  order  which  al- 
ways follows  a great  war,  and  from  the  resulting  corruption 
both  in  the  public  and  the  private  life  of  the  people.  These, 
Mr.  Chairman,  constitute  the  vast  field  which  we  must  sur- 
vey in  order  to  find  the  path  which  will  soonest  lead  our  be- 
loved country  to  the  highway  of  peace,  of  liberty  and  pros- 
perity. Peace  from  the  shock  of  battle,  the  higher  peace 
of  our  streets,  of  our  homes,  of  our  equal  rights,  we  must 
make  secure  by  making  the  conquering  ideas  of  the  war 
everywhere  dominant  and  permanent.  But  such  a result  can 
be  reached  only  by  comprehending  the  whole  meaning  of 


294 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


the  revolution  through  which  we  have  passed  and  are  still 
passing.  I say  still  passing  ; for  I remember  that  after  the 
battle  of  arms  comes  the  battle  of  history.  The  cause  that 
triumphs  in  the  field  does  not  always  triumph  in  history. 
And  those  who  carried  the  war  for  union,  and  equal  and  uni- 
versal  freedom  to  a victorious  issue  can  never  safely  relax 
their  vigilance,  until  the  ideas  for  which  they  fought  have 
become  embodied  in  the  enduring  forms  of  individual  and 
national  life. 

“ Has  this  been  done?  Not  yet.  I ask  the  gentleman  in 
all  plainness  of  speech,  and  yet  in  all  kindness,  is  he  correct 
in  his  statement  that  the  conquered  party  accept  the  results 
of  the  war  ? Even  if  they  do,  I remind  the  gentleman  that 
accrpt  is  not  a very  strong  word.  I go  further.  I ask  him  if 
the  Democratic  party  have  adopted  the  results  of  the  war  ? 
Is  it  not  asking  too  much  of  human  nature  to  expect  such  un- 
paralleled changes  to  be  not  only  accepted,  but  in  so  short 
a time  adopted  by  men  of  strong  and  independent  opinions. 
This  conflict  of  opinion  was  not  merely  one  of  sentimental 
feeling;  it  involved  our  whole  political  system;  it  gave  rise 
to  two  radically  different  theories  of  the  nature  of  our  Gov- 
ernment: the  North  believing  and  holding  that  we  were  a 
nation,  the  South  insisting  that  we  were  only  a confedera- 
tion of  sovereign  States,  and  insisting  that  each  State  had  the 
right,  at  its  own  discretion,  to  break  the  Union,  and  con- 
stantly threatening  secession  where  the  full  rights  of  slavery 
were  not  acknowledged.  Thus  the  defense  and  aggrandize- 
ment of  slavery,  and  the  hatred  of  abolitionism,  became, 
not  only  the  central  idea  of  the  Democratic  party,  but  its 
master  passion ; a passion  intensified  and  inflamed  by  twenty- 
five  years  of  fierce  political  contest,  which  had  not  only 
driven  from  its  ranks  all  those  who  preferred  freedom  to  slav- 
ery, but  had  absorbed  all  the  extreme  pro-slavery  elements 
of  the  fallen  Whig  party.  Over  against  this  was  arrayed  the 
Republican  party,  asserting  the  broad  doctrines  of  nation- 
ality and  loyalty,  insisting  that  no  State  had  a right  to  secede, 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


295 


that  secession  was  treason,  and  demanding  that  the  institu- 
tion of  slavery  should  be  restricted  to  the  limits  of  the 
States  where  it  already  existed.  But  here  and  there,  many 
bolder  and  more  radical  thinkers  declared,  with  Wendell 
Phillips,  that  there  never  could  be  union  and  peace,  freedom 
and  prosperity,  until  we  were  willing  to  see  John  Hancock 
under  a black  skin.  Now,  I ask  the  gentleman  if  he  is  quite 
sure,  as  a matter  of  fact,  that  the  Democratic  party,  its  southern 
as  well  as  its  northern  wing,  have  followed  his  own  illustri- 
ous and  worthy  example  in  the  vast  progress  he  has  made 
since  1859?  He  assures  us  that  the  transformation  has  been 
so  complete,  that  the  nation  can  safely  trust  all  the  most  pre- 
cious fruits  of  the  war  in  the  hands  of  that  party  who  stood 
with  him  in  1859.  If  that  be  true,  I rejoice  at  it  with  all  my 
heart ; but  the  gentleman  must  pardon  me  if  I ask  him  to 
assist  my  wavering  faith  by  some  evidence,  some  consoling 
proofs.  When  did  the  great  transformation  take  place  ? Cer- 
tainly not  within  two  years  after  the  delivery  of  the  speech  I 
have  quoted ; for,  two  years  from  that  time  the  contest  has 
arisen  much  higher ; it  had  risen  to  the  point  of  open,  terrible 
and  determined  war.  Did  the  change  come  during  the  war? 
Oh,  no;  for,  in  the  four  terrible  years  ending  in  1865,  every 
resource  of  courage  and  power  that  the  Southern  States  could 
muster  was  employed  not  only  to  save  slavery,  but  to  destroy 
the  Union.  So  the  transformation  had  not  occurred  in  1865. 
When  did  it  occur?  Aid  our  anxious  inquiry,  for  the  nation 
ought  to  be  sure  that  the  great  change  has  occurred  before  it 
can  safely  trust  its  destinies  to  the  Democratic  party.  Did  it 
occur  in  the  first  epoch  of  reconstruction — the  two  years  im- 
mediately following  the  war?  During  that  period  the  at- 
tempt was  made  to  restore  governments  in  the  South  on  the 
basis  of  the  white  vote,  Military  control  was  held  generally, 
but  the  white  population  of  the  Southern  States  were  invited 
to  elect  their  own  legislatures  and  establish  provisional  gov- 
ernments. In  the  laws,  covering  a period  of  two  and  a half 
years,  1865,  1866,  and  a portion  of  1867,' enacted  by  those 


296 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


legislatures,  we  ought  to  find  proof  of  the  transformation,  if  it 
had  then  occurred.  What  do  we  find  ? What  we  should 
naturally  expect,  that  a people,  accustomed  to  the  domination 
of  slavery,  re-enacted  in  almost  all  of  the  Southern  States,  and 
notably  in  the  States  of  Mississippi  and  Louisiana,  laws  limit- 
ing and  restricting  the  liberty  of  the  colored  man  ; vagrant 
laws  and  peonage  laws,  whereby  negroes  were  sold  at  auction 
for  the  payment  a£  a paltry  tax  or  fine,  and  held  in  a slavery 
as  real  as  the  slavery  of  other  days.  I believe  this  was  true  of 
nearly  all  of  the  Southern  States;  so  that  the  experiment  of 
allowing  the  white  population  of  the  South  to  adjust  that  very 
question  proved  a frightful  failure ; and  then  it  was  that  the 
National  Congress  intervened.  They  proposed  an  act  of  re- 
construction, an  act  which  became  a law  on  the  2d  of  March, 
1867.  That  was  the  plan  of  reconstruction  offered  to  those 
who  had  been  in  rebellion,  offered  by  a generous  and  brave 
nation ; and  I challenge  the  world  to  show  an  act  of  equal 
generosity  to  a conquered  people.  What  answer  did  it  meet? 
By  the  advice  of  Andrew  Johnson,  a bad  adviser,  backed  by 
the  advice  of  the  Northern  Democracy,  a still  worse  adviser, 
ten  of  the  eleven  States  lately  in  rebellion  contemptuously 
rejected  the  plan  of  reconstruction  embraced  in  the  Fourteenth 
Amendment  of  the  Constitution.  • They  would  have  none  of 
it;  they  had  been  advised  by  their  Northern  allies  to  stand 
out,  and  were  told  when  the  Democracy  came  into  power  they 
should  be  permitted  to  come  back  to  their  places  without 
guarantees  or  conditions.  This  brings  us  to  1868.  Had  the 
transformation  occurred  then?  For,  remember,  gentlemen, 
I am  searching  for  the  date  of  the  great  transformation  similar 
to  that  which  has  taken  place  in  the  gentleman  from  Mis- 
sissippi. We  do  not  find  it  in  1868.  On  the  contrary,  in 
that  year,  we  find  Frank  P.  Blair,  of  Missouri,  writing  these 
words,  which,  a few  days  after  they  were  written,  gave  him  the 
nomination  for  the  Vice-Presidency  on  the  Democratic  ticket : 

“‘There  is  but  one  way  to  restore  government  and  the 
Constitution,  and  that  is  for  the  President  elect  to  declare 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


297 

these  acts  ’ — and  the  Constitutional  Amendment  with  them — 
‘ to  declare  all  these  acts  null  and  void,  compel  the  army  to 
undo  its  usurpations  at  the  South,  and  disperse  the  carpet-bag 
State  governments,  and  allow  the  white  people  to  recognize 
their  own  governments,  and  elect  Senators  and  Representa- 
tives. ’ 

“Because  he  wrote  that  letter  he  was  nominated  for  Vice- 
President  by  the  Democratic  party.  Therefore,  as  late  as 
July,  1868,  the  transformation  had  not  occurred.  Had  it 
occurred  in  1872?  In  1871  and  1872  all  the  amendments 
of  the  Constitution  had  been  adopted,  against  the  stubborn 
resistance  of  the  Northern  and  Southern  Democracy.  I call 
you  to  witness  that,  with  the  exception  of  three  or  four  Demo- 
cratic representatives,  who  voted  for  the  abolition  of  slavery, 
the  three  great  amendments,  the  thirteenth,  the  fourteenth 
and  the  fifteenth,  met  the  determined  and  united  opposition 
of  the  Democracy  of  this  country.  Each  of  the  amendments, 
now  so  praised  by  the  gentleman,  was  adopted  against  the 
whole  weight  of  your  resistance.  And  two  years  after  the 
adoption  of  the  last  amendment,  in  many  of  your  State  plat- 
forms, they  were  declared  null  and  void.  In  1871  and  1872 
occurred  throughout  the  South  those  dreadful  scenes,  enacted 
by  the  Ku-Klux  organizations,  of  which  I will  say  only  this : 
that  a man  facile princeps  among  the  Democrats  of  the  slave- 
holding  States — Reverdy  Johnson — who  was  sent  down  to 
defend  those  who  were  indicted  for  their  crimes,  held  up  his 
hands  in  horror  at  the  shocking  barbarities  that  had  been  per- 
petrated by  his  clients  upon  negro  citizens.  I refer  to  the 
evidence  of  that  eminent  man,  as  a sufficient  proof  of  the 
character  of  that  great  conspiracy  against  the  freedom  of  the 
colored  race.  So  the  transformation  had  not  come  in  the 
days  of  Ku-Klux,  of  1871  and  1872.  Had  it  come  in  1873 
and  the  beginning  of  1874?  Had  it  come  in  the  State  ot 
Mississippi?  Had  it  come  in  one-quarter  ot  the  States  lately 
in  rebellion?  Here  is  a report  from  an  honorable  committee 
of  the  House,  signed  by  two  gentlemen  who  are  still  members, 


298 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


Mr.  Conger  and  Mr.  Hurlbut — a report  made  as  late  as 
December,  1874,  in  which  there  is  disclosed,  by  innumerable 
witnesses,  the  proof  that  the  white-line  organization,  an 
avoAved  military  organization,  formed  within  the  Democratic 
party,  had  leagued  themselves  together  to  prevent  the  enjoy- 
ment of  suffrage  and  equal  rights  by  the  colored  men  of  the 
South. 

“ Mr.  Chairman,  after  the  facts  I have  cited,  am  I not  war- 
ranted in  raising  a grave  doubt  whether  the  transformation 
occurred  at  all,  except  in  a few  patriotic  and  philosophic 
minds?  The  light  gleams  first  on  the  mountain  peaks;  but 
shadows  and  darkness  linger  in  the  valley.  It  is  in  the  valley 
masses  of  those  lately  in  rebellion  that  the  light  of  this  beau- 
tiful philosophy,  which  I honor,  has  not  penetrated.  Is  it 
safer  to  Avithhold  from  them  the  custody  and  supreme  con- 
trol of  the  precious  treasures  of  the  Republic  until  the  mid- 
day sun  of  liberty,  justice  and  equal  laws  shall  shine  upon 
them  Avith  unclouded  ray?  In  view  of  all  the  facts,  consider- 
ing the  centuries  of  influence  that  brought  on  the  great  strug- 
gle, is  it  not  reasonable  to  suppose  that  it  will  require  yet 
more  time  to  effect  the  great  transformation?  The  gentleman 
from  Mississippi  (Mr.  Lamar)  says  there  is  no  possibility  that 
the  South  will  again  control  national  affairs,  if  the  Democ- 
racy be  placed  again  in  power.  How  is  this?  We  are  told 
that  the  South  Avill  vote  as  a unit  for  Tilden  and  Hendricks. 
Suppose  those  gentlemen  also  carry  Ncav  York  and  Indiana. 
Does  the  gentleman  believe  that  a northern  minority  of  the 
Democracy  Avill  control  the  administration  ? Impossible  ! 
But  if  they  did,  Avould  it  better  the  case? 

“Let  me  put  the  question  in  another  form.  Suppose,  gen- 
tlemen of  the  South,  you  had  won  the  victory  in  the  Avar; 
that  you  had  captured  Washington,  and  Gettysburg,  and 
Philadelphia,  and  Ncav  York  ; and  we  of  the  North,  defeated 
and  conquered,  had  lain  prostrate  at  your  feet.  Do  you  be- 
lieve that  by  this  time  you  Avould  be  ready  and  willing  to  in- 
trust to  us — our  Garrisons,  our  Phillipses,  and  our  Wades,  and 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


29g 


the  great  array  of  those  who  were  the  leaders  of  our  thoughts 
— the  fruits  of  your  victory.,  the  enforcement  of  your  doctrines 
of  State  sovereignty,  and  the  work  of  extending  the  domain 
of  slavery?  Do  you  think  so?  And  if  not,  will  you  not 
pardon  us  when  we  tell  you  that  we  are  not  quite  ready  to 
trust  the  precious  results  of  the  nation’s  victory  in  your 
hands  ? Let  it  be  constantly  borne  in  mind  that  I am  not 
debating  a question  of  equal  rights  and  privileges  within  the 
Union,  but  whether  those  who  so  lately  sought  to  destroy  it 
ought  to  be  chosen  to  control  its  destiny  for  the  next  four 
years. 

“ It  is  now  time  to  inquire  as  to  the  fitness  of  this  Demo- 
cratic party  to  take  control  of  our  great  nation  and  its  vast 
and  important  interests  for  the  next  four  years.  I put  the 
question  to  the  gentleman  from  Mississippi,  Mr.  Lamar,  what 
has  the  Democratic  party  done  to  merit  that  great  trust?  He 
tries  to  show  in  what  respects  it  would  be  dangerous.  I ask 
him  to  show  in  what  it  would  be  safe.  I affirm,  and  I believe 
I do  not  misrepresent  the  great  Democratic  party,  that  in  the 
last  sixteen  years  they  have  not  advanced  one  great  national 
idea  that  is  not  to-day  exploded  and  as  dead  as  Julius  Caesar. 
And  if  any  Democrat  here  will  rise  and  name  a great  national 
doctrine  his  party  has  advanced,  within  that  time,  that  is  now 
alive  and  believed  in,  I will  yield  to  him.  [A  pause.]  In 
default  of  an  answer  I will  attempt  to  prove  my  negative. 

“What  were  the  great  central  doctrines  of  the  Democratic 
party  in  the  Presidential  struggle  of  i860?  The  followers  of 
Breckenridge  said  slavery  had  a right  tp  go  wherever  the  Con- 
stitution goes.  Do  you  believe  that  to-day?  And  is  there  a 
man  on  this  continent  that  holds  that  doctrine  to-day?  Not 
one.  That  doctrine  is  dead  and  buried.  The  other  wing  of 
the  Democracy  held  that  slavery  might  be  established  in  the 
territories  if  the  people  wanted  it.  Does  anybody  hold  that 
doctrine  to-day?  Dead,  absolutely  dead! 

“ Come  down  to  1864.  Your  party,  under  the  lead  of  Tilden 
and  Vallandmgham,  declared  the  experiment  of  war  to  save 


300 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OR 

the  Union  was  a failure.  Do  you  believe  that  doctrine  to- 
day? That  doctrine  was  shot  to  death  by  the  guns  of  Farra- 
gut  at  Mobile,  and  driven  in  a tempest  of  fire  from  the  valley 
of  the  Shenandoah  by  Sheridan  less  than  a month  after  its 
birth  at  Chicago. 

“Come  down  to  1868.  You  declared  the  Constitutional 
Amendments  revolutionary  and  void.  Does  any  man  on  this 
floor  say  so  to-day?  If  so,  let  him  rise  and  declare  it. 

“Do  you  believe  in  the  doctrine  of  the  Broadhead  letter  of 
1868,  that  the  so-called  Constitutional  Amendments  should  be 
disregarded?  No;  the  gentleman  from  Mississippi  accepts 
the  results  of  the  war!-  The  Democratic  doctrine  of  1868 
is  dead ! 

“I  walk  across  that  Democratic  campaign-ground  as  in  a 
graveyard.  Under  my  feet  resound  the  hollow  echoes  of  the 
dead.  There  lies  slavery,  a black  marble  column  at  the  head 
of  its  grave,  on  which  I read : Died  in  the  flames  of  the  civil 
war;  loved  in  its  life;  lamented  in  its  death;  followed  to  its 
bier  by  its  only  mourner,  the  Democratic  party,  but  dead ! 
And  here  is  a double  grave : sacred  to  the  memory  of  squat- 
ter sovereignty.  Died  in  the  campaign  of  i860.  On  the  re- 
verse side : Sacred  to  the  memory  of  Dred  Scott  and  the 
Breckinridge  doctrine.  Both  dead  at  the  hands  of  Abraham 
Lincoln  ! And  here  a monument  of  brimstone : Sacred  to  the 
memory  of  the  rebellion : the  war  against  it  is  a failure ; Til- 
den  e t Vallandingham  fecerunt,  A.  D.  1864.  Dead  on  the 
field  of  battle;  shot  to  death  by  the  million  guns  of  the  Repub- 
lic. The  doctrine  of  secession ; of  state  sovereignty,  dead. 
Expired  in  the  flames  of  civil  war,  amid  the  blazing  rafters  of 
the  Confederacy,  except  that  the  modem  yEneas,  fleeing  out 
of  the  flames  of  that  ruin,  bears  on  his  back  another  Anchises 
of  State  sovereignty,  and  brings  it  here  in  the  person  of  the 
honorable  gentlemen  from  the  Appomattox  district  of  Vir- 
ginia (Mr.  Tucker).  All  else  is  dead. 

“Now,  gentlemen,  are  you  sad,  are  you  sorry  for  these 
deaths?  Are  you  not  glad  that  secession  is  dead?  that  slavery 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


301 


fs  dead  ? that  squatter  sovereignty  is  dead  ? chat  the  doctrine 
of  the  failure  of  the  war  is  dead  ? Then  you  are  glad  that 
you  were  outvoted  in  i860,  in  1864,  in  1868  and  in  1872.  If 
you  have  tears  to  shed  over  these  losses,  shed  them  in  the 
graveyard,  but  not  in  this  house  of  living  men.  I know  that 
many  a Southern  man  rejoices  that  these  issues  are  dead. 
The  gentleman  from  Mississippi  (Mr.  Lamar)  has  clothed  his 
joy  with  eloquence. 

“ Now,  gentlemen,  if  you  yourselves  are  glad  that  you  have 
•suffered  defeat  during  the  last  sixteen  years,  will  you  not  be 
equally  glad  when  you  suffer  defeat  next  November?  But 
pardon  that  remark ; I regret  it : I should  use  no  bravado. 

“Now,  gentlemen,  come  with  me  for  a moment  into  the 
camp  of  the  Republican  party  and  review  its  career.  Our 
central  doctrine  in  i860  was  that  slavery  should  never  extend 
itself  over  another  foot  of  American  soil.  Is  that  doctrine 
dead  ? It  is  folded  away  like  a victorious  banner ; its  truth 
is  alive  for  evermore  on  this  continent.  In  1864  we  declared 
that  we  would  put  dowi»  the  rebellion  and  secession.  And 
that  doctrine  lives,  and  will  live  when  the  second  centennial 
has  arrived.  Freedom— national,  universal  and  perpetual— • 
our  great  Constitutional  Amendments,  are  they  alive  or  dead  ? 
Alive,  thank  the  God  that  shields  both  liberty  and  the  Union. 
And  our  national  credit ! saved  from  the  assaults  of  Pendle- 
ton ; saved  from  the  assaults  of  those  who  struck  it  later, 
rising  higher  and  higher  at  home  and  abroad ; and  only  now 
in  doubt  lest  its  chief,  its  only  enemy,  the  Democracy,  should 
triumph  in  November. 

“ Mr.  Chairman,  ought  the  Republican  party  to  surrender 
its  truncheon  of  command  to  the  Democracy  ? The  gentle- 
man from  Mississippi  says  if  this  were  England  the  ministry 
would  go  out  in  twenty-four  hours,  with  such  a state  of  things 
as  we  have  here.  Ah,  yes  ! that  is  an  ordinary  case  of  change 
of  administration.  But  if  this  were  England,  what  would 
she  have  done  at  the  end  of  the  war  ? England  made  one 
each  mistake  as  the.  gentleman  asks  this  country  to  make,  when 


302 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


she  threw  away  the  achievements  of  the  grandest  man  that 
ever  trod  her  highway  of  power.  Oliver  Cromwell  had  over- 
thrown the  throne  of  despotic  power  and  had  lifted  his  coun- 
try to  a place  of  masterful  greatness  among  the  nations  of  the 
earth ; and  when,  after  his  death,  his  great  sceptre  was  trans- 
ferred to  a weak  though  not  unlenial  hand,  his  country,  in  a 
moment  of  reactionary  blindness,  brought  back  the  Stuarts. 
England  did  not  recover  from  this  folly  until,  in  1689,  the 
prince  of  Orange  drove  from  her  island  the  last  of  that  weak 
and  wicked  line.  Did  she  afterward  repeat  the  blunder?” 

Combating  Democratic  measures,  as  Garfield 
always  has,  the  opportunity  offered  by  the  extra 
session  of  the  Forty-sixth  Congress  was  not  lost. 
Concerning  it,  he  said : 

“Mr.  Speaker,  we  have  probably  never  legislated  on  any 
question,  the  influence  of  which  reaches  further,  both  terri- 
torially and  in  time,  and  touches  ^ore  interests,  more  vital 
interests,  than  are  touched  by  this  and  similar  bills.  No  man 
can  doubt  that  within  recent  years,  and  notably  within  recent 
months,  the  leading  thinkers  of  the  civilized  world  have  be- 
come alarmed  at  the  attitude  of  the  two  precious  metals  in  re- 
lation to  each  other ; and  many  leading  thinkers  are  becoming 
clearly  of  the  opinion  that  by  some  wise,  judicious  arrange, 
ment  both  the  precious  metals  must  be  kept  in  service  for  the 
currency  of  the  world.  And  this  opinion  has  been  very  rapidly 
gaining  ground  within  the  last  six  months,  to  such  an  extent 
that  England,  which  for  more  than  half  a century  has  stoutly 
adhered  to  the  single  gold  standard,  is  now  seriously  medi- 
tating how  she  may  harness  both  these  metals  to  the  monetary 
car  of  the  world.  And  yet,  outside  of  this  capital,  I do  not 
this  day  know  of  a single  great  and  recognized  advocate  of  bi- 
metallic money  who  regards  it  prudent  or  safe  for  any  natiqn 
largely  to  increase  the  coinage  standard  of  silver  coin  ^it 
the  present  time  beyond  the  limits  fixed  by  existing  laws. 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


303 


France  and  the  States  of  the  Latin  Union,  that  has  long  be- 
lieved in  bi-metallism,  maintained  it  against  all  comers,  and 
have  done  all  in  their  power  to  advocate  it  throughout  the 
world, 'dare  not  coin  a single  silver  coin,  and  have  not  done 
so  since  1874.  The  most  stenuous  advocates  of  bi-metallism 
in  those  countries  say  it  would  be  ruinous  to  bi-metallism  for 
France  or  the  Latin  Union  to  coin  any  more  silver  at  present. 
The  remaining  stock  of  German  silver  now  for  sale,  amount- 
ing to  from  forty  to  seventy-five  millions  of  dollars,  is  a stand- 
ing menace  to  the  exchanges  and  silver  coinage  of  Europe. 
One  month  ago  the  leading  financial  journal  of  London  pro- 
posed that  the  Bank  of  England  buy  one-half  of  the  Ger- 
man surplus  and  hold  it  five  years,  on  condition  that  the 
German  Government  shall  hold  the  other  half  off  the 
market.  The  time  is  ripe  for  some  wise  and  prudent 
arrangement  among  the  nations  to  save  silver  from  a dis- 
astrous break-down.  Yet  we,  who  during  the  past  two 
years  have  coined  far  more  silver  dollars  than  we  ever  before 
coined  since  the  foundation  of  the  Government ; ten  times  as 
many  as  we  coined  during  half  a century  of  our  national  life  ; 
are  to-day  ignoring  and  defying  the  enlightened,  universal 
opinion  of  bi-metallism,  and  saying  that  the  United  States, 
single-handed  and  alone,  can  enter  the  field  and  settle  the 
mighty  issue  alone.  We  are  justifying  the  old  proverb,  that 
‘Fools  rush  in  where  angels  fear  to  tread.’  It  is  sheer  mad- 
ness, Mr.  Speaker.  I once  saw  a dog  on  a great  stack  of  hay, 
that  had  been  floated  out  into  the  wild,  overflowed  stream  of 
a river,  with  its  stack-pen  and  foundations  still  holding  to- 
gether, but  ready  to  be  wrecked.  For  a little  while  the  ani- 
mal appeared  to  be  perfectly  happy.  His  hay-stack  was 
there,  and  the  pen  around  it,  and  he  seemed  to  think  the 
world  bright  and  his  happiness  secure,  while  the  sunshine  fell 
softly  on  his  head  and  hay.  But  by  and  by  he  began  to  dis- 
cover that  the  house  and  the  barn,  and  their  surroundings, 
were  not  all  there,  as  they  were  when  he  went  to  sleep  the 
night  before ; and  he  began  to  see  that  he  could  not  com- 


304 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


mand  all  the  prospect  and  peacefully  dominate  the  scene  as 
he  had  done  before.  So  with  this  House.  We  assume  to 
manage  this  mighty  question,  which  has  been  launched  on  the 
wild  current  that  sweeps  over  the  whole  world,  and  we  bark 
from  our  legislative  hay-stacks  as  though  we  commanded  the 
whole  world.  In  the  name  of  common  sense  and  sanity, 
let  us  take  some  account  of  the  flood  ; let  us  understand 
that  a deluge  means  something,  and  try,  if  we  can,  to  get 
our  bearings  before  we  undertake  to  settle  the  affairs  of  all 
mankind  by  a vote  of  this  House.  To-day  we  are  coining 
one-third  of  all  the  silver  that  is  being  coined  in  the  round 
world.  China  is  coining  another  third  ; and  all  other  nations 
are  using  the  remaining  one-third  for  subsidiary  coin.  And 
if  we  want  to  take  rank  with  China  and  part  company  with 
all  of  the  civilized  nations  of  the  Western  world,  let  us  pass 
this  bill,  and  then  ‘bay  the  moon,’  as  we  float  down  the 
whirling  channel  to  take  our  place  among  the  silver  mono- 
metallists of  Asia. 

“Mr.  Chairman,  the  dogma  of  State  Sovereignty,  which  has 
re-awakened  to  such  vigorous  life  in  this  chamber,  has  borne 
such  bitter  fruits,  and  entailed  such  suffering  upon  our  people, 
that  it  deserves  more  particular  notice.  It  should  be  noticed 
that  the  word  ‘ Sovereignty  ’ cannot  be  fitly  applied  to  any 
government  in  this  country.  It  is  not  found  in  our  Constitu- 
tion. It  is  a feudal  word,  born  of  the  despotism  of  the  mid- 
dle ages,  and  was  unknown  even  in  imperial  Rome.  A 
‘ Sovereign  ’ is  a person,  a prince  who  has  subjects  that  owe 
him  allegiance.  There  is  no  one  paramount  sovereign  in  the 
United  States.  There  is  no  person  here  who  holds  any  title 
or  authority  whatever,  except  the  official  authority  given  him 
by  law.  Americans  are  not  subjects,  but  citizens.  Our  only 
sovereign  is  the  whole  people.  To  talk  about  the  ‘inherent 
sovereignty  ’ of  a corporation — an  artificial  person — is  to  talk 
nonsense ; and  we  ought  to  reform  our  habit  of  speech  on  that 
subject.  But  what  do  gentlemen  mean  when  they  tell  us  that 
a State  is  sovereign  ? What  does  sovereignty  mean,  in  its  ac- 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


305 


cepted  use,  but  a political  corporation  having  no  superior? 
Is  a State  of  this  Union  such  a corporation  ? Let  us  test  it  by 
a few- examples  drawn  from  the  Constitution.  No  State  of 
this  Union  can  make  war  or  conclude  a peace.  Without  the 
consent  of  Congress  it  cannot  raise  or  support  an  army  or  a 
navy.  It  cannot  make  a treaty  with  a foreign  power,  nor 
enter  into  any  agreement  or  compact  with  another  State.  It 
cannot  levy  imposts  or  duties  on  imports  or  exports.  It  can- 
not coin  money.  It  cannot  regulate  commerce.  It  cannot 
authorize  a single  ship  to  go  into  commission  anywhere  on 
the  high  seas;  if  it  should,  that  ship  would  be  seized  as  a 
pirate  or  confiscated  by  the  laws  of  the  United  States.  A 
State  cannot  emit  bills  of  credit.  It  can  enact  no  law  which 
makes  anything  but  gold  and  silver  a legal  tender.  It  has  no 
flag  except  the  flag  of  the  Union.  And  there  are  many  other 
subjects  on  which  the  States  are  forbidden  by  the  Constitution 
to  legislate.  How  much  inherent  sovereignty  is  left  in  a cor- 
poration which  is  thus  shorn  of  all  these  great  attributes  of 
sovereignty  ? But  this  is  not  all.  The  Supreme  Court  of  the 
United  States  may  declare  null  and  void  any  law,  or  any 
clause  of  the  Constitution  of  a State,  which  happens  to  be  in 
conflict  with  the  Constitution  and  laws  of  the  United  States. 
Again,  the  States  appear  as  plaintiffs  and  defendants  before 
the  Supreme  Court  of  the  United  States.  They  may  sue  each 
other ; and  until  the  Eleventh  Amendment  was  adopted  a 
citizen  might  sue  a State.  These  ‘ sovereigns  ’ may  all  be 
summoned  before  their  common  superior  to  be  judged.  And 
yet  they  are  endowed  with  supreme  inherent  sovereignty? 
Again,  the  government  of  a State  may  be  absolutely  abolished 
by  Congress,  in  case  it  is  not  republican  in  form. 

“And  finally,  to  cap  the  climax  of  this  absurd  pretension, 
every  right  possessed  by  one  of  these  ‘ sovereign  ’ States,  every 
inherent  sovereign  right,  except  the  single  right  to  equal  rep- 
resentation in  the  Senate,  may  be  taken  away,  without  its  con- 
sent, by  the  vote  of  two-thirds  of  Congress  and  three-fourths 
of  the  States.  But,  in  spite  of  all  these  disabilities,  we  hear 
18 


3°6 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


them  paraded  as  independent,  sovereign  States,  the  creators 
of  the  Union  and  the  dictators  of  its  powers.  How  inhe- 
rently  ‘sovereign’  must  be  that  State  west  of  the  Mississippi, 
which  the  nation  bought  and  paid  for  with  the  public  money, 
and  permitted  to  come  into  the  Union  a half  century  after 
the  Constitution  was  adopted  ! And  yet  we  are  told  that 
States  are  inherently  sovereign,  and  create  the  national 
government.  Half  a century  ago,  this  heresy  threatened  the 
stability  of  the  nation.  The  eloquence  of  Webster  and  his 
compeers,  and  the  patriotism  and  high  courage  of  Andrew 
Jackson,  resisted  and  for  a time  destroyed  its  powers;  but  it 
continued  to  live  as  the  evil  genius,  the  incarnate  devil,  of 
America;  and,  in  1861,  it  was  the  fatal  phantom  that  lured 
eleven  millions  of  our  people  into  rebellion  against  their  Gov- 
ernment. Hundreds  of  thousands  of  those  who  took  up  arms 
against  the  Union,  stubbornly  resisted  all  inducements  to  that 
fatal  step  until  they  were  summoned  by  the  authority  of  their 
States.” 

A single  bold  passage  (were  it  possible,  we 
would  give  in  full,)  from  his  speech  on  counting 
the  electoral  vote  must  find  a place  here : 

“When  you  tell  me  that  civil  war  is  threatened  by  any  party 
or  State  in  this  Republic,  you  have  given  me  a supreme  reason 
why  an  American  Congress  should  refuse,  with  unutterable 
scorn,  to  listen  to  those  who  threaten,  or  do  any  act  whatever 
under  the  coercion  of  threats  by  any  power  on  earth.  With 
all  my  soul,  I despise  your  threat  of  civil  war,  come  it  from 
what  quarter  or  what  it  may.  Brave  men,  certainly  a brave 
nation,  will  do  nothing  under  such  compulsion.  We  are  in- 
trusted with  the  work  of  obeying  and  defending  the  Constitu- 
tion. I will  not  be  deterred  from  obeying  it,  because  some- 
body threatens  to  destroy  it.  I dismiss  all  that  class  of  mo- 
tives as  unworthy  of  Americans. 

“What,  then,  are  the  grounds  on  which  we  should  con- 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


307 


sider  a bill  like  this?  It  would  be  unbecoming  in  me  or  in 
any  member  of  this  Congress  to  oppose  this  bill  on  mere 
technical  or  trifling  grounds.  It  should  be  opposed,  if  at  all, 
for  reasons  so  broad,  so  weighty  as  to  overcome  all  that  has 
been  said  in  its  favor,  and  all  the  advantages  which  I have 
here  admitted,  may  follow  from  its  passage.  I do  not  wish 
to  diminish  the  stature  of  my  antagonist ; I do  not  wish  to 
undervalue  the  points  of  strength  in  a measure,  before  I ques- 
tion its  propriety.  It  is  not  enough  that  this  bill  will  tide  us 
over  a present  danger,  however  great.  Let  us  for  a moment 
forget  Hayes  and  Tilden,  Republicans  and  Democrats ; let  us 
forget  our  own  epoch  and  our  own  generations ; and,  enter- 
ing a broader  field,  inquire  how  this  thing  which  we  are 
about  to  do  will  affect  the  great  future  of  our  Republic ; and, 
in  what  condition,  if  we  pass  this  bill,  we  shall  transmit  our 
institutions  to  those  who  shall  come  after  us.  The  present 
good  which  we  shall  achieve  by  it  may  be  very  great ; yet  if 
the  evils  that  will  flow  from  it  in  the  future  must  be  greater, 
it  would  be  base  in  us  to  flinch  from  trouble  by  entailing 
remediless  evils  upon  our  children.” 

President  Garfield’s  position  on  the  Chinese 
Question,  is  not  stated  in  any  speech  of  his,  and 
only  lightly  touched  upon  in  his  letter  of  accept- 
ance. The  Wheeling  (West  Virginia)  Intelli- 
gencer\ printed,  December  5th,  1877,  an  account  of 
an  interview  with  the  great  Republican,  which 
more  fully  elaborates  his  views.  Alluding  to  the 
idea  quite  strongly  held  by  many  writers,  that 
the  Chinese  intend  a conquest  of  Europe,  General 
Garfield  said : 

“The  Mongolian  race  is  capable  of  great  personal  prow- 
ess. Being  fatalists,  they  dare  everything  for  the  end  they 
have  in  view.  Their  food  is  simple,  easily  supplied  and 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


3d8 

easily  transported.  Their  endurance  of  fatigue  is  proverbial. 
Once  organized  and  in  motion  they  could  swarm  into  Russia 
as  irresistibly  as  the  locusts  of  Egypt,  and  upon  the  Pacific 
coast  of  this  continent  as  numerous  and  destructive  as  the 
grasshoppers.  Once  started,  where  would  they  stop?  Civili- 
zation would  retire  before  them  as  from  a plague.  Look  at 
the  plague  spots  in  San  Francisco  to-day.  Nobody  lives  in 
them  but  Chinese.  Nobody  else  can  live  in  them.  I 
have  seen  in  a space  no  greater  than  the  length  and  height  in 
this  sleeping-car  berth,  in  a Chinese  tenement  quarter  in  San 
Francisco,  the  home  of  twelve  Chinaman.  In  that  space 
they  actually  lived — -y.es,  actually  lived  most  of  their  time. 
There  they  crouched  (all  doubled  up),  and  there  they  cooked, 
ate,  slept,  and,  in  a word,*  lived.  They  cooked  with  a little 
lamp  a mess  of  stuff  that  they  import  from  China,  which, 
like  their  rice  food,  is  very  cheap,  and  a mere  pittance  in  the 
way  of  earnings  on  the  street,  will  supply  them  food  and  clothes 
for  an  indefinite  time.  A few  cents  per  day  is  more  to  them 
than  a dollar  to  the  commonest  American  laborer.  Hence 
the  lowest  grade  of  poor  paid  labor  retires  before  them  as  it 
would  before  a pestilence. 

“This  is  not  all.  They  have  no  assimilation  whatever  to 
Caucasian  civilization.  The  negro  assimilates  with  the  Cau- 
casian. He  wants  all  that  we  want.  He  adopts  our  civili- 
zation— professes  our  religion — works  for  our  wages,  and  is  a 
customer  for  everything  that  civilization  produces.  Hence 
(using  a figure  of  physiology)  we  can  take  him  up  in  the  cir- 
culation of  the  body  politic  and  assimilate  him — make  a man 
and  a brother  of  him,  as  the  phrase  goes;  but  not  so  i»  the 
least  degree  with  the  Chinaman. 

“And  this  brings  me  to  say  that  one  of  the  great  questions 
that  now  press  upon  Congress  and  the  country  for  immediate 
attention  and  solution,  is  what  shall  we  do  with  reference  to 
Chinese  immigration?  We  have  always  refused  to  citizenize 
them.  Shall  we  continue  the  treaty  under  which  they  are 
immigrating  to  our  shores?” 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


309 


Before  taking  leave  of  Garfield’s  Conqres- 
slonal  career,  it  will  doubtless  please  the  reader  to 
peruse  a few  of  the  letters  our  successful  states- 
man wrote  during  his  long  years  in  and  about 
the  capital.  The  first  are  to  Colonel  Rockwell : 


“ Kiram,  Ohio,  August  30th,  I009. 

“ It  seems  as  though  each  year  added  more  to  the  work  that  falls  to  my 
share.  This  season  I have  the  main  weight  of  the  Census  Bill  and  the  re- 
ports to  carry,  and  the  share  of  the  Ohio  campaign  that  falls  to  me,  and  in 
addition  to  all  this  I am  running  in  debt  and  building  a house  in  Washing- 
ton. On  looking  over  I found  I had  paid  out  over  $5,000  since  I first  went 
to  Congress,  for  rent  alone,  and  all  this  is  a dead  loss;  so,  finding  an  old 
staff-officer  (Maj.  D.  G.  Swaim),  I negotiated  enough  to  enable  me  to  get 
a lot  on  the  comer  of  Thirteenth  and  I Streets,  north,  opposite  to  Frank- 
lin Square,  and  I have  got  a house  three-quarters  done.  It  may  be  a losing 
business,  but  I hope  I shall  be  able  to  sell  it  when  I am  done  with  it,  so  as 
to  save  myself  and  the  rent.” 


“Hiram,  Ohio,  August  6th,  1870. 

“I  have  at  last  reached  home  in  the  green  fields  and  pure  air  of  the 
country,  and  for  the  first  time  in  many  months  have  a few  days  of  com- 
parative rest  now  before  the  opening  of  the  fall  campaign. 

My  work  during  the  last  Congressional  year  has  been  harder  than  ever 
before.  I gave  eighty  days’  hard  work  last  summer  and  fall  to  the  cen- 
sus, and,  though  I carried  my  bill  successfully  through  the  House,  it  failed 
in  the  Senate.  Then  I spent  forty  days  on  the  Gold  -Panic  Investigation 
and  Report,  nearly  nil  the  work  of  which  I did.  Then  I gave  three  or 
four  weeks’  hard  work  to  the  Tariff  Bill,  and  more  than  that  amount  to 
the  Currency  Bill,  which  I had  charge  of  and  which  created  a long  and 
strong  combat.  Add  to  this  all  the  usual  outside  work  and  two  cases  in 
the  Supreme  Court,  one  of  which  I argued  and  won,  and  you  will  see  that 
it  filled  my  days  and  many  of  my  nights  with  about  as  close  grubbing  as 
I was  capable  of  performing.  On  the  whole  I have  done  as  much  as  I 
had  any  reason  to  hope  I should. 

“ I was  very  much  obliged  for  your  discussion  of  the  Indian  Affairs, 
You  can  see  how  nearly  impossible  it  is  for  a member  of  Congress,  nearly 
a thousand  miles  away  from  the  scene  of  Indian  events,  and  knowing 
nothing  but  what  he  learns  from  vague  and  contradictory  reports,  to  under- 
stand the  real  situation,  and  to  provide  wise  and  efficient  means  for  mana- 
ging a subject  so  difficult  and  so  impossible  to  handle  by  general  laws  or 
regulations  I have  from  the  first  been  in  favor  of  the  transfer  of  the  In- 
dian Bureau  to  the  War  Department;  but  the  Piegan  massacre  and  the 
personal  quarrel  of  which  you  speak  prevented  the  transfer.  I twice  got 
the  bill  through  the  House.  I shall  take  the  liberty  to  write  to  Secretary 
Cox  and  quote  some  passages  from  your  letter.” 


LIFE  A A’ I)  PUBLIC  CAREER  CF 


310 

Then  to  Mr.  B.  A.  Hinsdale : 

“Washington,  May  20th,  1879. 

“ I have  read  your  letter  carefully.  It  is  all  interesting,  and  some  of 
your  reflections  and  suggestions  are  very  valuable.  I will  notice  your  points 
in  the  order  you  state  them. 

“First. — You  think  my  position  in  the  first  speech  was  greatly  modified, 
if  not  abandoned,  in  the  second,  because,  first,  from  the  speech  of  March 
29th,  the  ordinary  reader  would  get  the  idea  that  revolution  comes  in  on  the 
rider,  and  not  in  insisting  upon  the  rider  when  it  could  not  command  a two- 
thirds  vote  ; second,  that  the  latter  point  is  not  mentioned  at  all  in  my  first 
speech,  and  no  intimation  is  made  that  the  rider  is  ever  legitimate.  It  is  no 
doubt  true  that  tire  reader  of  my  first  speech,  who  had  not  paid  special  at- 
tention to  tire  transactions  of  Congress  during  the  preceding  month,  might 
fail  to  understand  what  was  plain  to  my  hearers  who  had  listened  to  the 
debate,  in  which  the  Democrats  had  repeatedly  stated  that  their  reason  for 
putting  tlreir  independent  legislation  upon  the  appropriation  bill  as  a rider, 
was  because  they  were  certain  it  would  be  vetoed  if  passed  as  an  independ- 
ent measure,  and  their  only  hope  of  success  was  to  pass  no  appropriation 
bills  without  the  riders. 

“ Several  of  these  declarations  are  quoted  in  the  President’s  veto  of  the 
Army  Appropriation  Bill.  But  I don’t  think  that  the  ordinary  reader  can 
find  anything  in  my  first  speech  which  implies  that  it  is  revolutionary  to  put 
a rider  on  an  appropriation  bill. 

“ It  is  singular  that  no  member  of  Congress  who  replied  to  me  attempted 
to  show,  by  any  quotation  from  my  speech,  that  I had  said  so. 

“ On  the  contrary,  I think  the  ordinary  reader  will  understand  that  I was 
discussing  the  refusal  to  vote  supplies  if  the  ridered  bill  should  be  vetoed. 

“ Let  me  call  your  attention  to  the  fact  that,  after  developing,  on  pages  6, 
7 and  8 of  the  fir>t  speech,  the  doctrine  of  the  voluntary  powers  of  the 
government,  and  that  the  free  consent  of  the  House,  the  Senate,  and  the 
President,  or  two-thirds  of  the  House  and  Senate  against  the  President’s 
consent  is  the  basis  of  all  our  laws,  I say  at  the  close  of  page  8 : ‘ The 
programme  announced  two  weeks  ago  wa",  drat  if  the  Senate  refused  to 
consent  to  the  demands  of  the  House,  the  government  should  stop.  And 
the  proposition  was  then,  and  the  programme  is  now,  that,  although  there 
is  not  a Senate  to  be  coerced,  there  is  still  a third  independent  branch  in  the 
legislative  power  of  the  government  whose  consent  is  to  be  coerced  at  the 
peril  of  the  destruction  of  this  government.  That  is,  if  the  President,  in 
the  discharge  of  his  duty,  shall  exercise  his  plain  constitutional  right  to  re- 
fuse his  consent  to  this  proposed  legislation,  Congress  will  so  use  its  volun- 
tary powers  as  to  destroy  the  government.’ 

“ This  is  the  proposition  which  we  confront,  and  we  denounce  as  revolu- 
tionary. That  is,  the  Democratic  party  in  Congress,  knowing  it  had  not  a 
two-thirds  majority,  declared  that  if  the  President  refused  his  signature  to 
their  independent  legislation,  they  would  not  vote  supplies,  and  would  let 
the  government  perish  of  inanition.  My  replies  to  the  questions  of  Mr. 
Stevens,  page  11,  and  Mr.  Davis,  page  14,  are  to  the  same  effect,  from  the 
beginning  to  the  end  of  the  speech.  I was  discussing  their  proposition,  that 
if  they  could  not  pass  their  measures  of  independent  legislation  in  spite  of 
the  President’s  veto — and  they  knew  they  could  not — they  would  refuse  to 
vote  supplies.  As  Mr.  Beck  said:  ‘ Whether  that  course  is  right  or  wrong, 
it  will  be  adhered  to,  no  matter  what  happens  to  the  appropriation  bill.’ 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


3 ii 


“ My  theme  was  the  proposed  coercion  of  the  President  and  the  threat  of 
stopping  the  government. 

“ i think  it  appears  from  the  foregoing  that  I did  not  call  riders  revolu- 
tionary. I said  nothing  about  tire  legitimacy  of  riders,  because  that  was  not 
my  theme. 

“ Second. — You  think,  f.rst,  that  I used  the  word  revolution  in  a loose 
stump-speech  sense,  and  not  in  the  more  serious  sense  in  which  statesmen 
should  employ  it;  second,  and  you  see  nothing  in  the  state  of  the  public 
mind  outside  of  Congress  to  indicate  any  general  concurrence  in  my  opinion 
that  revolution  was  threatened.  I know  the  word  is  sometimes  loosely  used 
in  reference  to  changes  of  a quiet  sort.  We  say,  for  example,  there  has 
been  a revolution  in  the  common-school  system.  I do  not  think  I am  open 
to  the  charge  of  using  it  either  in  the  stump-speech  or  in  the  milder  sense 
juft  referred  to.  Certainly  we  had  a revolution  in  1861  ; but  before  we 
came  to  blows  the  revolution  was  prepared  by  the  attempt  of  the  South  to 
put  in  force  the  doctrine  that  a State  was  sovereign  and  had  a right  to  secede 
from  the  Union.  To  put  that  doctrine  in  practice  was  to  destroy  the  gov- 
ernment, and  dissolution  was  revolution. 

“ Now,  the  Democratic  programme,  as  announced  by  Thurman,  Beck, 
and  the  rest,  is  that,  whatever  may  be  the  consequence,  they  will  not  vote 
supplies  unless  certain  laws  are  repealed  ; and,  not  having  the  constitu- 
tional power  to  repeal  those  laws,  they  have  thus  far  refused  to  vote  sup- 
plies. Continued  persistence  in  that  refusal  destroys  the  government.  I 
denounce  their  policy  and  purpose  as  threatened  revolution.  If  that  which 
inevitably  destroys  the  government  be  not  revolution,  in  the  largest  and 
most  dangerous  sense  of  that  word,  I am  wholly  mistaken. 

“ You  say  you  do  not  see  signs  of  revolution  in  the  country : nor  do  I. 
I saw  it  only  in  Congress.  The  title  of  my  speech  was  ‘ Revolution  in 
Congress,’  and  I resisted  it  there  in  order  that  it  might  not  spread  and  be- 
come revolution  throughout  the  whole  Union.  I do  not  now  believe  it 
will  ripen  into  completed  revolution,  because  the  purposes  of  the  Democracy 
having  been  disclosed,  public  opinion  will  break  them  down.  I think  my 
speech  lias  done  something  toward  breaking  them  down  by  disclosing  their 
purposes.  The  responses  of  the  country  before  I made  my  second  speech 
greatly  relieved  my  apprehensions,  and  I felt  less  for  the  result  April  4th 
than  I did  March  29th,  though  the  Democracy  had  not  abandoned  their 
scheme,  nor  have  they  done  so  yet. 

“Third. — Your  analysis  of  the  elements  that  make  up  the  spirit  cf  the 
Republican  party  is  certainly  just  in  the  main.  It  would  not  be  possible 
for  any  party  to  be  the  chief  actor  in  the  events  of  the  past  twenty-five  years 
without  being  influenced  by  the  spirit  of  the  events  themselves.  Our  recent 
history  has  developed  a war-horse  type  of  Republican  which  I agree  with 
you  in  despising  as  a permanent  element ; but  I do  not  agree  with  you  that 
the  present  agitation  is  an  outcome  on  the  part  of  Republicans  to  get  up  a 
new  cry.  We  do  not  get  up  the  cry,  we  do  not  bring  in  this  new  issue. 
My  analysis  of  the  situation  is  this:  Two  Democratic  leaders,  Tildcn  and 
Thurman,  are  engaged  in  a desperate  struggle  for  the  next  Presidency. 
Tilclen  hopes  to  be  elected  on  the  reminiscences  of  1876.  The  Potter  Com- 
mittee was  appointed  to  infuse  the  belief  that  Tilden  had  been  counted  out 
by  fraud.  Tilden  had  been  gaining  ground  as  a candidate,  and  if  Thurman 
merely  joined  in  this  cry  of  fraud,  he  earned  coals  to  Tilden’s  cellar  and 
did  not  help  himself.  He  therefore  raised  a new  issue  to  rally  the  party 


312 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


around  him.  His  cry  was : ‘ No  military  interference  with  elections ! 

‘ Down  with  the  bayonet  at  the  polls  !’  ‘ Down  with  national  interference 

with  elections !’  The  only  way  that  he  and  his  associates  could  elevate 
this  issue  into  prominence  was  by  threatening  to  stop  the  government  if  his 
aggravations  are  not  redressed.  Not  to  have  resisted  this  scheme  would 
have  been  criminal  on  our  part.  It  is  true  that  in  resisting  it  the  war-horse 
type  of  Republican  has  found  new  employment,  and  many  of  the  undesira- 
ble elements  of  our  party  are  delighted  that  this  issue  has  been  raised.  This 
could  not  be  otherwise ; but  it  is  not  just  to  say  that  Republicans  have 
raised  the  issue  to  feed  their  taste  for  gore. 

“ I note,  with  great  interest,  what  you  say  about  the  recent  history  of  my 
mind  and  the  effect  of  stump-speaking  upon  my  modes  of  thinking.  I have 
no  doubt  that  it  induces  a looseness  and  superficiality  of  thought  and  an 
extravagance  of  expression ; but,  on  the  other  hand,  it  has  some  compensa- 
tions. A man  addressing  a great  and  mixed  audience,  composed  of  friends 
and  enemies,  is  certainly  impelled  to  be  more  careful  in  his  statements  of  facts 
than  one  who  has  his  audience  all  to  himself.  lie  is  much  less  liable  to 
become  epigrammatical  and  self-confident  in  his  own  views  than  those  who 
have  a friendly  audience,  where  nobody  opposes  or  puts  questions.  I 
should  be  grieved  indeed  if  I felt  that  political  speaking  was  weakening  my 
love  of  study  and  reflection  in  other  directions.  I thank  you  for  the  sug- 
gestions, and  shall  keep  watch  of  myself  all  the  more  in  consequence  of 
them.  But  it  occurs  to  me  I have  made  more  speeches  of  the  kind  you 
approve  within  the  last  six  months  than  of  the  kind  you  disapprove.  For 
example,  the  Henry  speech,  the  speech  on  the  Relation  of  the  Government 
to  Science,  the  Sugar  Tariff  speech,  the  speech  on  Mr.  Schleicher,  the 
Chicago  speech,  and  the  two  articles  in  the  North  American  Review." 

“Washington,  July  7th,  1879. 

“ The  session  has  been  a most  uncomfortable  one ; but,  on  the  whole,  it 
has  been  valuable  in  the  new  class  of  topics  it  has  brought  into  discussion. 
The  Democrats  completely  abandoned  the  main  ground  which  they  at  first 
took,  and  the  most  sensible  among  them  do  not  hesitate  to  admit  privately 
that  it  was  wholly  untenable.  Instead  of  withholding  $45,000,000  of 
appropriations  to  compel  the  redress  of  grievances,  they  withheld  only 
$600,000,  and  they  did  not  carry  as  many  points  of  legislation  as  were 
tendered  them  at  the  close  of  the  last  Congress.  The  course  of  justice  can 
only  be  kept  by  the  marshals  advancing  the  necessary  money,  and  run  the 
risk  of  Congress  paying  them  hereafter ; but  their  powers  and  official  au- 
thority are  not  impaired.  * * * 

“ Partywise,  the  extra  session  has  united  the  Republicans  more  than  any* 
thing  since  1S68,  and  it  bids  fair  to  give  us  1880,’' 


Gen.  Garfield’S  Home,  Mentor,  Ohio. 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


313 


his  title,  in  the  estimation  of  many  men,  but  the  behavior  of  a great  nation 
in  the  administration  of  its  laws  at  a critical  moment  is  more  important  than 
the  fate  of  any  one  man  or  party.  Wc  have  reached  the  place  where  the 
road  is  marked  by  no  footprint,  and  we  must  make  a direct  line  to  be  fit  to 
follow  after  we  are  dead.  It  is  only  at  such  times  that  the  domain  of  law 
is  enlarged  and  the  safeguard  of  liberty  is  increased.  I confess  to  you  that 
I do  not  feel  adequate  to  tire  task;  but  I shall  do  my  best  to  point  out  a 
worthy  way  to  the  light  and  tire  right.” 


“Washington,  March  10th,  1877. 

“ It  is  due  to  Hayes  that  we  stand  by  him  and  give  his  policy  a fair  trial. 
I undorstand  he  wants  me  to  stay  in  the  House.  I shall  see  him  this  even- 
ing, and  if  he  is  decided  in  his  wishes  on  that  point,  I shall  probably  de- 
cline to  be  a candidate  for  the  Senate.  On  many  accounts  I would  like  to 
take  that  place,  but  it  seems  to  fall  to  my  lot  to  make  the  sacrifice.  It  is 
probable,  though  not  certain,  that  I could  be  elected  if  I ran.” 


314 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREEN  OF 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 


A VISIT  TO  LAWN  FIELD. 

"I'T  is  essential  that  the  reader  should  take  a 
| quick  glance  at  President  Garfield’s  home — • 
for  the  White  Plouse  is  but  his  visiting  place 
— and  to  do  that  I must  beg  him  to  come  with  me 
to  Lawnfield  on  a visit  that  the  author  paid  to 
General  Garfield  during-  the  summer  of  1S80. 
In  this  way  the  reader  can  obtain  an  essentially 
necessary  knowledge  of  the  President  as  a man  ; 
on  that  side  of  his  life,  the  domestic,  which  reveals 
him  one  of  the  noblest  of  the  people. 

The  station  at  which  I got  out  was  Mentor, 
twenty-six  miles  from  Cleveland,  on  the  Lake 
Shore  and  Michigan  Southern  Railroad.  The 
drive  to  the  house  was  over  a flat  country,  which 
had  evidently  once  been  overflowed,  and  a part  of 
the  botttom  of  the  lake — distant  about  two  miles. 
It  was  Mentor  all  along,  not  a regular  town  but  a 
thickly  settled  neighborhood.  There  were  houses 
every  hundred  rods  or  so,  and  little  farms, 
orchards  and  gardens  around  them.  The  Gen- 
eral,  as  Garfield  was  called,  was  the  big  man  of 
the  place,  and  owned  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres 
of  land.  While  driving  along  the  Mentor  road 
one  day  in  1877,  he  observed  the  quiet  country 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


3li 

beauty  of  the  place,  and  thought  he  would  like  to 
live  there.  He  bought  one  hundred  and  twenty 
acres,  and  afterward  added  forty.  There  was  a 
cottage  on  the  ground,  and  it  made  a very  com- 
fortable home  for  the  family  until  the  general  went 
to  Washington,  when  he  ordered  it  removed  and 
a better  building  put  in  its  place. 

Such  a home  at  best  is  but  a slight  affair  when 
viewed  from  the  palatial  magnificence  of  a Fifth 
Avenue,  and  probably  many  a politician  would 
consider  General  Garfield’s  house  no  house  at  all. 
But  it  was  and  is  all  sufficient  for  the  needs  of  the 
first  Republican  of  his  time,  who,  I venture  to  say, 
is  far  more  at  home  at  Mentor  than  ever  he  will 
be  in  the  White  House. 

We  soon  arrived  at  Lawnfield,  and  I went  to  a 
little  office  just  behind  the  house,  though  in  view, 
and  inquired  for  the  general. 

“He’s  out  on  the  farm,”  replied  one  of  the  two 
secretaries  busy  at  work  writing,  “I  will  go  and 
find  him.” 

During  the  minute  the  secretary  was  absent  I 
examined  the  house  with  my  eyes.  It  was  two 
and  a half  stories  high  and  in  an  unfinished  state. 
The  walls  were  painted  white  and  relieved  by  a 
roof  of  a dark  Turkish  red.  The  lawn  about  was 
liberally  dotted  with  fruit  trees,  in  the  spreading 
branches  of  one  of  which — a cherry — a boy  was 
busy  plucking  the  luscious  fruit.  Several  girls 
clustered  beneath  sharing  the  work  and  the  re- 


2 1 6 LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 

freshment.  A double  row  of  noble  elms  was  in 
front  of  the  house  Not  far  off  I noticed  goose- 
berry and  currant  bushes,  betokening  a garden, 
and  just  back  of  the  house  beyond  the  office  a 
commodious-looking  barn. 

Subsequently  I learned  other  particulars. 

The  cottage  that  stood  upon  the  place  when 
the  general  purchased  it  proved  altogether  too 
small  and  too  barren  of  conveniences.  A Cleve- 
land architect  was  employed  for  the  metamor- 
phosis. He  decided  that  the  walls  could  be  raised 
and  the  building  enlarged  without  pulling  it  down. 
It  was  then  rebuilt  from  plans  prepared  by  Mrs, 
Garfield,  that  is,  in  this  way:  A sketch  was  first 
drawn  by  the  architect;  this  Mrs.  Garfield  filled 
out  and  then  the  general  marked  in  various  direc' 
tions  with  a bold  pen.  When  the  ideas  of  Mrs. 
Garfield  had  been  put  upon  paper  the  general 
indorsed  them  in  the  following  gentle  hint  to  the 
builders: 

“ These  plans  must  stand  as  above,  unless  otherwise 
ordered  hereafter.  If  any  part  of  them  is  impracticable,  in- 
form me  soon  and  suggest  change. 

“ J.  A.  Garfield. 

‘•'Washington,  March  6th,  iS8o.” 

The  house  stands  upon  a crest  or  ridge  and 
cannot  be  called  grand  in  any  sense  of  the  word, 
but  certainly  deserves  the  name  of  a very  pleas- 
ant, comfortable-looking  country  home.  The  ar- 


Parlor-General  Garfield’s  Home 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


319 


chitecture  is  composite,  the  Gothic  sentiment  pre- 
vailing. There  are  two  dormer  windows — one  in 
front  and  one  in  the  rear — and  a broad  veranda 
extends  across  the  front  and  part  of  the*  side 
toward  Cleveland,  affording  opportunities  to  enjoy 
the  breezes,  out  of  the  heat  of  the  sun.  Lattice 
work  has  been  arranged  for  trailing  vines.  The 
dimensions  are  sixty  feet  front  by  fifty  deep.  The 
apartments  are  all  roomy  for  a country  house 
and  the  hallway  is  so  wide  that  it  attracts  atten- 
tion the  moment  you  enter.  The  first  floor  contains 
a hall,  with  a large  writing-table,  a sitting-room, 
parlor,  dining-room,  kitchen,  wash-room  and  pan- 
try. This  last  on  the  plan  bears  the  generous 
indorsement  “plenty  of  shelves  and  drawers.” 
Up-stairs  in  the  rear  part  of  the  second  floor  is  a 
room  that  on  the  plan  is  entitled  “snuggery  for 
general."  It  is  rather  small,  measuring  only  thir- 
teen and  a half  by  fourteen  feet.  It  is  filled  up 
with  book  shelves,  but  it  is  not  intended  to  usurp 
the  place  of  the  library,  a separate  building  out- 
side and  to  the  north-east  of  the  house.  Two  of 
the  best  apartments  in  the  eastern  and  front  part 
on  this  floor  are  especially  filled  up  for  occupancy 
of  the  general’s  mother.  The  front  room  has  a 
large  old-fashioned  fire-place  and  the  greatest 
pains  have  evidently  been  taken  to  make  this 
room  a Mecca  of  comfort. 

The  rooms  are  finished  in  hard  woods,  and 
everything  about  the  place,  while  plain  and  un- 


320 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OP 


pretentious,  gives  it  an  appearance  of  quiet  com- 
fort. There  are  very  few  of  the  timbers  of  the 
old  house,  over  which  the  new  has  been  con- 
structed, visible  at  this  time,  and  there  will  be 
none  in  sight  when  the  carpets  are  laid  down. 
The  cost  of  the  structure  when  finished  will  be’ 
between  three  thousand  five  hundred  and  four 
thousand  dollars.  The  barn,  at  the  rear,  furnishes 
accommodations  for  the  two  carriage-horses,  the 
single  carriage-horse  and  the  heavy  working-- 
team.  Of  the  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  com- 
prising the  farm,  the  yard,  garden  and  orchard 
take  up  about  twelve.  Some  seventy  acres  are 
under  tillage,  and  the  rest  are  in  pasture  and 
woodland. 

About  ten  minutes  slipped  away,  and  then  the 
tall,  broad-shouldered,  full-chested,  strongly-knit, 
six-foot-two-inch  form  of  Garfield  came  out  from 
between  the  buildings.  Two  telegraph  men  were 
with  him,  and  they  were  arranging  for  putting  a 
private  wire  into  his  office.  With  that  charming, 
unpretentious  politeness  for  which  he  is  distin- 
guished, he  asked  me  to  go  to  the  front  of  the 
nouse  and  sit  on  the  broad  veranda,  where  he 
said  we  would  find  it  much  cooler  and  pleasanter 
than  within  doors.  While  he  sat  on  the  porch,  I 
had  a good  opportunity  to  read  and  study  the 
man.  His  head  is  massive  as  well  as  his  frame, 
and  his  brain  is  gigantic.  He  has  light  brown 
hair,  reddish-brown  beard,  large  blue  eyes  and  a 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


321 


full,  round,  fair  face.  His  weight  is,  perhaps,  two 
hundred  and  forty  pounds.  He  dresses  plainly 
and  prefers  to  wear  a soft,  slouch  hat,  with  a 
broad  brim. 

Visitors  who  come  unannounced,  often  find  him 
working  in  the  hay-field  with  his  boys,  with  his 
genial  face  sheltered  from  the  sun  under  a big, 
chip  hat,  and  his  trousers  tucked  in  a pair  of  cow- 
hide boots.  He  is  a thorough  countryman,  by  in- 
stinct. The  smell  of  the  good,  brown  earth,  the 
lowing  of  cattle,  the  perfume  of  the  new  cut  hay 
and  all  the  sights  and  sounds  of  farm-life  are  dear 
to  him  from  early  associations. 

He  excused  himself  for  a moment:  the  tele- 
graph men  needed  some  advice.  As  I sat  there,  I 
recalled  some  of  the  many  things  concerning  the 
man  that  had  been  told  me  during  the  last  day  or 
two. 

I could  easily  appreciate,  seated  on  his  veran- 
da, all  I had  heard  about  his  fondness  for  the 
country;  being,  as  I saw  him  to  be,  essentially  a 
home  man,  and,  perhaps,  he  has  never  quite  ap- 
preciated the  possession  of  a home  so  much  as  he 
does  now,  in  his  days  of  rest,  after  the  bustle  and 
excitement  of  the  past  few  weeks.  His  habits,  I 
am  told,  are  regular  and  methodical.  Rising  early, 
he  frequently  mounts  his  horse  and  goes  over  the 
farm,  directing  the  workmen  and  studying  out 
what  suggests  itself  as  a needed  improvement. 
Quite  as  often,  instead  of  mounting  his  horse,  he 


322 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


walks  about  the  place  and,  if  the  fever  seizes  him, 
jerks  off  his  coat  to  hold  the  plow  in  the  furrow, 
or  to  rake  hay.  It  reminds  him  of  old  times,  and 
is,  of  itself,  invigorating  exercise.  He  has  a great 
taste  for  improvements,  and  has  made  something 
of  a study  of  farming  since  his  early  experience 
as  a practical  yeoman.  He  farms,  therefore,  sci- 
entifically. He  interests  himself  in  the  affairs  of 
the  village,  and  attends  the  Disciples’  Church, 
where  he  sometimes  speaks.  The  liberal  people 
of  Mentor  on  one  occasion  invited  him  to  say 
something  about  the  formation  of  a Murphy  Tem- 
perance Society.  They  were  much  pleased  when, 
in  his  earnest,  impressive  way,  he  told  them  he  was 
not  a believer  in  total  abstinence,  while  cautioning 
the  young  against  the  evil  of  immoderate  drink- 
ing, and  earnestly  urging  them  to  check  and  con- 
trol their  appetite. 

Garfield  was  fond  of  showing  visitors  over  the. 
place,  and  especially  fond  of  taking  them  down  the 
lane  back  of  the  house  to  the  top  of  the  ridge,  and 
explaining  that  the  flat  space  below  was  once  a 
portion  of  Lake  Erie  before  the  blue  waters  re- 
ceded and  left  the  sand  and  wave-washed  pebbles 
on  the  top  of  the  ridge. 

He  is  a hard  worker,  and  punctual  in  perform-v 
ance  of  promises  and  duty.  One  infallible  rule  of 
his  public  life  has  been  that  every  civil  letter,  on 
whatever  subject  or  from  whatever  source,  de- 
mands an  answer.  His  correspondence  has,  there- 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


323 


fore,  always  been  large  and  exacting.  The  very 
morning  of  my  arrival  ninety  letters  and  over  two 
hundred  papers  were  brought  to  the  house,  and 
before  night  there  were  as  many  more.  He  han- 
dles them,  however,  with  ease,  for  he  is  possessed 
with  what  William  Wirt  entitled  the  “genius  of 
labor.”  There  are  few  men  living,  or  who  ever 
lived,  that  can  or  could  endure  more  mental  work 
than  he,  and  do  good  work.  As  a collegian, 
twenty  hours  without  sleep  was  common  with  him, 
and  not  one  of  the  twenty  but  had  its  stated  task 
of  work  or  recreation.  This,  mind  you,  is  all  done 
thoroughly.  His  work  on  the  Fitz  John  Porter 
case  involved  immense  labor,  and  the  references 
and  documents  relative  to  that  case,  piled  apart  in 
his  library,  at  Washington,  are  appalling  to  a mind 
of  ordinary  grasp.  It  takes  all  of  one  large  closet 
to  contain  the  letters  received  and  answers  sent 
about  this  case,  which,  with  the  multitude  of  docu- 
ments, were  personally  examined  by  the  general. 

Most  of  the  letters  received  on  the  morning  o.f 
my  visit,  to  which  I have  referred,  were  letters  of 
congratulation,  but  there  were  also  requests  for 
offices  in  the  event  of  an  election,  requests  for 
everything,  from  the  delicately-hinted  desire  of  a 
seat  in  the  new  cabinet  to  an  openly-demanded 
place  as  a country  postmaster.  Others  were 
recommendations  for  some  of  those  who  asked, 
who  appeared,  indeed,  to  be  fit  for  anything  ever 
heard  of  beneath  the  broad  panoply  of  heaven, 


324 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


and  still  others  were  full  of  political  advice  and 
suggestions. 

His  work  on  the  Fitz  John  Porter  case  recalled 
again  his  giant-like  capacity  for  mental  labor. 
But  few,  in  comparison  to  the  number  delivered, 
of  his  congressional  speeches,  have  obtained  wide 
circulation  in  print.  And  yet,  just  look  at  the 
titles  of  those  that  have  so  appeared  and  been  cir- 
culated : 

“Free  Commerce  .between  the  States;”  “Na- 
tional Bureau  of  Education;”  “The  Public  Debt 
and  Specie  Payments;”  “Taxation  of  United  States 
Bonds;”  “Ninth  Census;”  “Public  Expenditures 
and  Civil  Service;”  “The  Tariff;”  “Currency  and 
the  Banks;”  “Debate  on  the  Currency  Bill;”  “On 
the  McGarrahan  Claim;”  “The  Right  to  Originate 
Revenue  Bills;”  Public  Expenditures;”  “National 
Aid  to  Education;”  “The  Currency;”  “Revenues 
and  Expenditures;”  “Currency  and  the  Public 
Faith;”  “Appropriations;”  “Counting  the  Elec- 
toral Vote;”  “Repeal  of  the  Resumption  Law;” 
“The  New  Scheme  of  American  Finance;”  “The 
Tariff ;”  “Suspension  and  Resumption  of  Specie 
Payments;”  “Relation  of  the  National  Government 
to_  Science,”  “Sugar  Tariff.” 

What  a record  this  is,  even  if  it  stood  alone ! 
What  American  statesman  can  show  a better  list 
of  titles  ? Does  it  not  read  like  a table  of  con- 
tents to  the  speeches  of  Daniel  Webster?  And 
these  speeches  could  not  have  been  prepared  with- 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


325 


out  ability,  knowledge  and  the  intent  of  a states- 
man who  works  for  his  country’s  good  to  animate 
their  purpose. 

They  were  the  results  of  his  deliberate  and  ac- 
curate foresight.  For  he  saw,  when  the  war  was 
over  and  reconstruction  a fact,  that  American  poli-  . 
tics  were  entering  upon  a new  era.  No  man 
could  then  serve  the  nation  by  rehearsing  the  old 
anti-slavery  debates,  by  fighting  over  the  battles 
of  the  war  on  the  floors  of  Congress,  by  unduly 
prolonging  controversies  that  were  forever  settled. 
He  saw  that  what  the  country  needed  was  wise 
discussion  and  legislation  on  the  civil  service,  the 
revenue,  currency,  banking,  resumption  and  the 
hundred  other  questions  that  are  by  no  means 
sentimental,  that  do  not  appear  to  the  imagina- 
tion, but  are  dry,  statistical,  unpoetic  and  distaste- 
ful to  any  speaker  who  has  the  God-given  gift  of 
eloquence.  In  a noble  speech  on  the  currency, 
delivered  in  1868,  Garfield  said: 

“ I am  aware  that  financial  subjects  are  dull  and  uninviting 
in  comparison  with  those  heroic  themes  which  have  absorbed 
the  attention  of  Congress  for  the  last  five  years.  To  turn 
from  the  consideration  of  armies  and  navies,  victories  and  de- 
feats, to  the  array  of  figures  which  exhibits  the  debt,  expendi- 
ture, taxation  and  industry  of  the  nation,  requires  no  little 
courage  and  self-denial ; but  to  these  questions  we  must  come, 
and  to  their  solution  Congress,  political  parties  and  all 
thoughtful  citizens  must  give  their  best  efforts  for  many  years 
to  come.” 


19 


326 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


One  would  not  suppose  that,  in  the  midst  of  the 
busy  life  incidental  to  such  public  duties  as  are 
lightly  suggested  above,  and,  later,  the  political 
leadership  of  the  House,  General  Garfield  found 
[much  time  to  devote  to  society  and  literature,  yet 
he  has  for  a long  period  been  an  active  and 
honored  member  of  the  Washington  Literary  So- 
ciety, an  organization  embracing  the  most  promi- 
nent men  and  women  in  music,  art  and  literature 
of  the  national  capital.  He  is  usually  present  at 
their  meetings,  and  takes  an  earnest  yet  modest 
part  in  their  discussions.  During  the  last  season 
he  was  president  of  the  society,  and  entertained 
the  members  at  his  house.  He  was  usually  ac- 
companied by  his  wife,  who  has  always  been  his 
companion,  counselor  and  friend. 

His  love  of  literature  was  early  manifested,  re- 
ceived a great  impulse  while  at  Williams’  College, 
and  grew  steadily  while  professor  of  languages 
and  president  of  Hiram  College.  Even  now  his 
most  congenial  recreation  is  the  study  of  classical 
literature,  and  it  is  related  of  him  that  during  the 
busy  session  he  was  found  behind  a big  barricade 
of  books,  which  proved  upon  examination  to  be 
different  editions  of  Horace,  and  works  relating  to 
(that  poet.  “ I find  I’am  overworked,  and  need 
recreation,”  he  said.  “ Now,  my  theory  is  that  the 
best  way  to  rest  the  mind  is  not  to  let  it  lie  idle, 
but  to  put  it  at  something  quite  outside  the  ordi- 
nary line  of  employment.  So,  I am  resting  by 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


32* 

learning  all  the  Congressional  Library  can  show 
about  Horace,  and  the  various  editions  and  trans 
lations  of  his  poems.”  And  an  application  of  this 
theory  to  his  every-day  life  has  made  him  a 
student,  and  ripened  a scholarship  rare  among 
public  men.  The  record  of  the  Congressional 
Library  shows  that  he  uses  more  books  than  any 
member  of  Congress.  The  number  of  volumes 

o 

taken  from  the  library  last  year  and  read  and  ex- 
amined by  him,  has  never  been  exceeded  by  any 
man  who  ever  used  the  library  except  Charles 
Sumner.  He  reads  everything — histories,  novels, 
newspapers,  etc.,  and  a wade  range  of  misceb 
laneous  matter.  Outside  of  the  early  classics, 
Shakespeare  is  his  favorite  poet,  and  Tennyson  is 
oftener  in  his  hand  than  any  other  song-writer  of 
modern  times.  Llis  novel  reading  is  a peculiarly 
happy  illustration  of  his  character,  as  it  is,  so  to 
speak,  confined  to  Thackeray,  Scott,  Dickens, 
Kingsley,  Jane  Austen  and  Honore  de  Balzac. 
His  books  all  bear  his  library  motto:  “Inter 
Folia  Fructus,”  “Fruit  between  leaves.” 

Here  he  has  read  and  worked  much  the  same 
as  at  Washington,  indeed  everywhere.  What  a 
reader  these  desultory  letters  from  Mr.  Hinsdale’s 
(correspondence  show  him  to  be  ! 

“Washington,  D.  C.,  February  14th,  1875. 

“ I don’t  remember  whether  I have  ever  called  your  attention  to  a book 
which  has  given  me  a great  deal  of  pleasure,  and  which  I think  is  an  ad- 
mirable help  to  young  people  in  laying  the  foundation  of  a knowledge  of 
Shakespeare.  You  may  be  familiar  with  it,  but  I never  saw  it  until  this 
winter.  It  is  Shakespeare  written  in  a condensed  and  attractive  form,  by 


328 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


Charles  and  Mary  Lamb,  and  published  in  Bohn’s  Library.  It  gives  but 
eighteen  pages  to  each  play,  and  puts  the  story  in  so  plain  a way  that  a 
very  young  child  can  Understand  it.  The  volume  contains  sketches  of 
about  half  of  the  plays.  About  twice  a week  I read  one  of  these  stories  to 
the  children,  and  even  Mollie  gets  a pretty  fair  understanding  of  the  story. 
Not  only  this,  but  they  give  older  and  much  clearer  notions  of  the  plot  of 
the  play  than  the  reading  of  the  whole  play  ordinarily  gives. 

“ So  far  as  individual  work  is  concerned,  I have  done  something  to  keep 
alive  my  tastes  and  habits.  For  example,  since  f left  you  I have  made  a 
somewhat  thorough  study  of  Goethe  and  his  epoch,  and  have  sought  to 
build  up  in  my  mind  a picture  of  the  state  of  literature  and  art  in  Europe, 
at  the  period  when  Goethe  began  to  work,  and  the  state  when  he  died.  I 
have  grouped  the  various  facts  into  order,  have  written  them  out,  so  as  to 
preserve  a memoir  of  the  impression  made  upon  my  mind  by  the  whole. 
The  sketch  covers  nearly  sixty  pages  of  manuscript.  I think  some  work  of 
this  kind  outside  the  track  of  one’s  every-day  work  is  necessary  to  keep  up 
real  growth.” 


“ Washington,  July  8th,  1875. 

“ I am  taking  advantage  of  this  enforced  leisure  to  do  a good  deal  of 
reading.  Since  I was  taken  sick  I have  read  the  following : Sherman’s 
two  volumes ; Leland’s  ‘ English  Gipsies  ;’  George  Borrow’s  ‘ Gipsies  of 
Spain  ;’  Borrow’s  ‘ Rommany  Rye Tennyson’s  ‘ Mary seven  volumes  of 
Froude’s  England  ; several  plays  of  Shakespeare,  and  have  made  some 
progress  in  a new  book,  which  I think  you  will  be  glad  to  see,  ‘ The  His- 
tory of  the  English  People,’  by  Prof.  Green,  of  Oxford,  in  one  volume.” 


“ Washington,  October  22d,  1877. 

“ Since  receiving  your  postal  card  I have  read  Goldwin  Smith’s  essay  on 
the  Decline  of  Party  Government.  To  me  it  is  altogether  a disappointing 
paper.  Many  of  his  facts  and  suggestions  are  interesting,  but  his  sugges- 
tions of  substitution  for  party  governmenfare  too  vague  to  be  of  any  value, 
while  there  are  grave  differences  of  opinion  among  men  on  questions  of  vital 
importance,  whether  in  church  or  state,  in  social  life  or  in  science.  There 
will  be  parties  based  upon  those  conditions,  and  the  thing  most  desired  is 
not  how  to  avoid  the  existence  of  parties,  but  how  to  keep  them  within 
proper  bounds.” 


“Mentor,  Ohio,  November  1 6th,  1878. 

“ I have  read  with  great  interest  and  satisfaction  your  little  volume  on 
the  Christian  Jewish  Church.  I know-of  no  work  which  contains  within 
such  small  compass  so  complete  and  thorough  a discussion  of  the  subject. 
Your  analysis  of  the  early  struggle  between  the  Jewish  and  Greek  Chris- 
tians, and  the  peculiar  influences  of  the  Jewish  and  Greek  mind  upon  the 
historical  development  or  Christianity  throws  a strong  and  clear  light  upon 
many  portions  of  the  New  Testament,  and  affords  valuable  assistance  to  the 
study  of  church  history.  The  whole  book  is  pervaded  with  the  spirit  of 
thorough  and  reverent  scholarship,  and  you  deserve,  and  doubtless  will  re- 
ceive, the  gratitude  of  a wide  circle  of  readers,” 


Mrs.  Garfield— the  president’s  wife. 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


329 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 


THE  FAMILY  CIRCLE. 

MY  recollections  were  here  interrupted  by 
the  general,  who  came  to  excuse  him- 
self, saying  that  the  telegraph  men  would 
be  done  with  him  in  a few  minutes,  when  he  would 
be  at  my  service. 

Just  as  he  had  arranged  where  and  how  the 
wire  was  to  be  put  in,  an  old  friend  of  his  arrived 
and  wished  to  talk  with  him.  I told  him  to  go  on, 
as  my  business  could  wait.  About  an  hour  was  so 
taken  up,  during  which  I collated  something — I 
had  learned  about  his  Washington  residence. 

This,  a modest,  unpretentious  brick  mansion, 
plain  and  square  built,  stands,  as  I have  said,  on 
the  corner  of  I and  Thirteenth  Streets.  The 
house  is  square,  with  a wing  on  the  east  side, 
comprising  dining-room  and  library.  The  parlor 
side-windows  look  out  upon  the  pleasing  prospect 
of  the  park,  while  the  front  commands  a corner 
view  of  I and  Thirteenth  Streets. 

On  entering  on  the  south  side,  the  parlor  is  on 
the  left.  It  is  small,  comfortably,  but  by  no  means 
lavishly  furnished.  An  upright  piano,  a slate 
mantel,  a solemn-looking  pair  of  Chinese  vases, 
three  feet  high ; a tall,  narrow  mirror,  reaching 


330 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


almost  to  the  ceiling,  are  the  objects  your  eye  first 
rests  upon.  Then  you  note  that  the  ceiling,  as 
well  as  the  walls,  is  frescoed,  the  latter  in  indis- 
tinct panels,  the  ceiling  light,  with  gilt  borders. 
Just  over  the  grand  piano  hangs  a picture  of  Gen- 
eral Garfield’s  mother,  to  whom  he  is  most  devoted. 
The  face  is  small,  and  beams  benevolently  from  a 
snowy  cap.  Opposite  hangs  a portrait  of  the  gen- 
eral’s first  daughter,  a face  of  surpassing  sweet- 
ness. Two  landscapes — a farm  and  a mountain 
subject — count  two  more  on  the  walls,  and  under 
one  of  them  hangs  a photograph  of  the  general  in 
camp,  taken  surrounded  by  his  officers,  who,  like 
himself,  are  in  undress  uniform.  A few  choice  en- 
gravings complete  the  wall  decorations. 

To  the  right  you  are  tantalizingly  invited  to 
enter  and  rest  by  the  comfortable,  cozy  look  of  a 
small  sitting-room,  furnished  in  tasteful  modesty. 
A small  walnut  mirror-mounted  desk,  table  and 
whatnot,  monopolizes  one  corner,  and  this  is 
strewn  with  books  that  make,  to  their  owner,  life 
worth  living. 

In  the  rear  of  this,  and  occupying  a portion  of 
the  wing  is  a somewhat  luxurious  dining-room, 
that  is,  it  is  luxurious  in  color  and  decoration. 
The  paper  is  a rich  drab  and  brown,  set  off  by  a 
dado  of  Japanese  pattern.  Over  the  mantel  there 
hangs  a relic  of  an  idea,  a half  portrayed  inspira- 
tion. The  general  one  evening,  in  the  company 
of  some  literary  and  artistic  men,  in  the  course  of 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


331 


a discussion  on  Shakespeare,  remarked  that  none 
of  the  illustrations  by  Falstaff  satisfied  his  concep- 
tion. An  artist  present  begged  him  to  describe 
his  ideal,  and  from  the  description  then  given  at- 
tempted the  picture  now  hanging  over  the  mantel. 
The  artist  dying  before  it  was  completed,  the  half- 
finished  sketch  was  framed  by  the  general  and 
placed  where  it  now  is.  The  finished  portion  em- 
braces the  figure  of  the  rollicking  knight  leaning 
his  right  arm  on  the  inn  table,  and  balancing  in 
his  left  hand  an  empty  glass.  In  the  background  the 
“drawer”  is  bringing  in  a fresh  cup  of  sack.  The 
conception  is  quite  effective  even  in  its  present 
state.  On  the  opposite  wall  is  a large  painting 
of  a hunting  scene,  with  horses  and  slain  deer  in 
the  foreground.  Here  is  a trout  very  cleverly 
painted,  there  a walnut  sideboard,  and  yonder 
another  book-case  filled  to  bursting.  Over  it  is 
a copy  of  “Love  or  Duty.”  Much  of  the  furni- 
ture of  this  room  is  of  Austrian  bent  wood. 

The  particular  shrine  in  the  Garfield  home  to 
which  you  will  willingly  hasten  your  steps  is  the 
library,  situated  just  over  the  dining-room.  This 
is  the  man  of  energy’s  workshop.  It  is  here  the 
student  and  the  scholar  lives.  It  is  here  the  poli- 
tician rests.  The  room  is  about  twenty-five  feet 
by  fourteen  feet,  three  of  its  windows  open  on  I 
Street  and  one  on  the  eastern  side.  The  carpet 
does  not  entirely  cover  the  floor,  a three-foot  mar- 
gin of  stained  wood  is  visible  all  round.  Occupy* 


■332 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


mg  the  centre  is  a double  walnut  office  desk,  with 
the  addition  of  pigeon-holes,  and  boxes,  and 
drawers  on  one  end,  while  just  above  hangs  a 
heavy  chandelier.  It  is  very  evident  from  the  or- 
derly disorder  of  the  room  that  the  owner  cares 
far  more  for  immediate  convenience  than  general 
symmetry.  Half  a dozen  book-cases  occupy  the 
available  space  around  the  walls,  and  three  thou- 
sand volumes  fill  their  shelves.  No  two  of  these 
cases  are  of  the  same  height,  width  or  make.  It 
suggests  to  the  visitor,  that  from  time  to  time,  as 
the  books  overflowed  their  limits,  another  case 
was  hastily  procured  in  which  to  accommodate  the 
surplus,  and  then  when  that  was  full  another  was 
added,  and  so  on.  And,  undoubtedly,  the  over- 
flow has  been  regular,  as  you  can  go  nowhere  in 
the  general’s  home  without  coming  face  to  face 
with  books.  They  confront  you  in  the  hall  when 
you  enter,  in  the  parlor  and  the  sitting-room,  in 
the  dining-room  and  even  in  the  bath-room,  where 
documents  and  speeches  are  corded  up  like  fire- 
wood. And  what  is  a wonderful  point  in  their 
owner’s  favor,  there  is  not  one  trashy  volume 
among  them.  They  are  law,  history,  biography, 
poetry,  politics,  philosophy,  government  and  stand- 
ard works  of  all  sorts,  the  accumulation  of 
years  of  study  and  the  patient  research  of  the 
scholar. 

A few  pictures  catch  the  eye  for  a moment : a 
portrait  of  Bismark,  a gift  from  the  Iron  Count — 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


333 


dereiserne  Graf- — himself;  one  of  General  Thomas, 
whom  Garfield  always  loved;  one  of  General  Sher- 
man, and  also  Professor  Agassiz  and  President 
Hopkins,  personal  friends. 

It  is  in  this  home  that  he  has  carried  on  his 
correspondence  with  his  friends,  and  here  he 
has  received  many  of  his  acquaintances.  The 
leading  officers  of  the  army  are  his  more  particular 
friends,  General  Sherman  notably  so.  He  still 
keeps  up  a tender  friendship  for  his  old  com- 
mander, Rosecrans.  The  late  S.  P.  Chase  was  a firm 
friend  of  his  and  was  often  his  guest.  Among 
his  correspondents  the  late  Dr.  Francis  Leiber  was 
one  of  the  favored,  as  he  received  during  his  life- 
time one  hundred  and  seven  letters  from  the 
general.  Among  those  who  have  corresponded 
with  him  regularly  are  William  D Howells,  Pro- 
fessor Winchell,  of  Ann  Harbor,  and  Andrew  D. 
White,  President  of  Cornell  University,  and  at 
present  American  Minister  to  Berlin.  Professor 
Hinsdale,  of  Hiram,  is  also  one  of  the  regular 
correspondents,  and  to  him  we  are  indebted  for 
many  of  the  letters  scattered  through  this  volume. 
To  him  Garfield  has  confided  much  of  his  private 
life.  A letter  illustrating  this  is  before  me : 

“Washington,  October  14th,  1865. 

“I  have  read  the  history  and  philosophy  of  the  Tariff  question  very 
thoroughly,  though  I have  not  yet  finished  it.  When  I see  you  I want  to 
give  you  the  salient  points  in  the  history  of  British  commercial  policy ; it  is 
very  curious  and  interesting.  * * * 

“ In  the  literary  way  I have  fallen  upon  one  of  the  finest  things  I have 
sver  met.  It  is  Walter  Savage  Landor’s  ‘ Pericles  and  Aspasia,’  which  gives 


334 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


in  the  most  vivid  and  beautiful  style  the  best  summary  I have  ever  seen  ot 
the  spirit  and  character  of  Greek  history,  politics,  philosophy  and  literature. 
It  has  been  a very  rich  treat  to  us  all.  We  are  yet  in  the  midst  of  it  ” 

I asked  him  concerning  his  earlier  sermons  or 
religious  lectures,  about  which  I had  often  heard 
scraps  of  rumors,  but  nothing  authentic,  nothing 
that  told  me  how  he  preached. 

“ I have  no  copies,”  he  replied.  “ I did  not  write 
my  discourses  in  full,  but  merely  made  headings 
or  memoranda,  trusting  to  memory  and  the  in- 
spiration of  the  occasion  to  fill  them  out  properly. 
I have  over  a thousand  of  these  briefs,  but  it 
would  be  quite  as  difficult  to  fill  one  out  as  to 
write  a new  discourse.” 

He  then  brought  in  a number  of  scrap-books, 
in  which  he  had  preserved  in  the  order  in  which 
they  had  been  delivered,  all  of  his  public  speeches. 
He  also  had  a most  elaborate  index  to  everything 
he  had  ever  read,  which  must  be  invaluable  to  a 
man  hunting  particular  passages.  Let  me  illus- 
trate this.  Suppose  you  are  keeping  an  index  on 
General  Garfield’s  principle.  You  have  been 
reading  that  brilliant  invective  against  treason  in 
Congress,  and  the  paragraph  on  coercion  strikes 
you  as  being  both  sound  and  well  worth  remem- 
bering: 

“ No  statute  was  ever  enforced  without  coercion.  It  is  the 
basis  of  every  law  in  the  universe — human  or  divine.  A law 
is  no  law  without  coercion  behind  it.  You  levy  taxes — 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


335 


coercion  secures  their  collection.  It  follows  the  shadow  of  the 
thief  and  brings  him  to  justice.  It  lays  its  iron  hand  on  the 
murderer,  tries  him  and  hangs  him.  It  accompanies  your 
diplomacy  to  foreign  courts  and  backs  the  declaration  of  the 
nation’s  rights,  by  a pledge  of  the  nation’s  strength.  But  when 
the  life  of  the  nation  is  imperiled,  we  are  told  that  it  has 
no  coercive  power  against  the  paracides  in  its  own  bosom  ! !” 

This,  then,  you  enter  in  your  index  thus:  “Co- 
ercion— under  the  Constitution.  Opinion  of  James 
A.  Garfield — Speech  upon  Treason  in  Congress, 
House  of  Representatives,  April  8th,  1864.  Vol. 

. Page •” 

This  the  general  has  done  for  all  the  books  he 
has  read,  and  the  reader  can  imagine  what  a mine 
of  information  he  can  prove  on  any  subject  at  a 
moment’s  notice.  This  system  also  permits  him 
to  hoard  to  advantage  fugitive  scraps  from  news- 
papers, and  in  its  maturity,  is  the  product  of  his 
thought.  He  ascribes  to  it  much  of  his  success  in 
extempore  speaking,  the  like  of  which,  for  wealth 
and  information,  and  glowing  illustration,  are  not 
heard  in  either  branch  of  Congress  to-day,  and 
have  not  been  for  many  years.  There  is  a com- 
mon-place saying  in  the  reporters’  gallery,  that 
when  Garfield  chooses  to  cram  on  a subject,  there 
is  no  man  in  Washington  who  can  stand  before 
the  deluge  of  facts  with  which  he  will  overwhelm 
ail  opposition. 

In  these  books  there  were  many  hundreds  of 
pages  filled  with  scraps,  annotations,  picked  sen- 


336 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


tences,  incidents  and  witticisms,  from  a collection 
of  authors  and  newspapers  representing  the  best 
thought  in  literature,  ancient  and  modern,  of  al- 
most the  entire  world.  Besides  these  there  were 
^innumerable  thoughts  of  his  own  upon  the  innu- 
merable thinofs  he  had  read  in  the  course  of  his 
prolonged  studies,  and  which  he  had  embalmed  in 
black  and  white  while  yet  the  “idea  divine”  was 
warm  and  living  in  his  brain. 

“It  is  perfectly  astounding,”  said  the  general, 
“how  much  we  are  indebted  to  other  people  for 
our  opinions.  Comparatively  few  men  or  women 
take  the  trouble  to  think  for  themselves.  Most 
persons  frame  their  opinions  from  what  they  read 
or  hear  others  say.  I noticed  this  early  in  life,  but 
never  saw  the  evil  of  it  until  I went  to  Congress. 
Committees  appointed  to  investigate  particular 
subjects  would  meet  together,  and  no  one  would 
say  much  at  first.  After  a while  some  one  would 
get  up  and  state  his  opinion  positively,  give  his 
reasons  for  thinking  so,  and  in  nine  cases  out  of 
ten  that  man’s  opinion  would  be  adopted  as  the 
opinion  of  the  committee.  The  other  members 
either  had  not  or  did  not  care  to  investigate  the 
matter,  and  rather  than  take  the  trouble  to  look 
up  the  facts,  would  accept  this  member’s  opinion 
as  their  own.” 

It  was  this  that  had  made  him  such  a close  stu- 
dent, and  caused  him  to  read  so  much  on  matters 
that  affected  Congressional  legislation.  He  warned 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD.  23f 

every  one  against  the  pernicious  practice  of  taking 
other  people’s  opinions  as  correct,  and  holding 
that  every  man  and  woman  should  try  and  find 
out  the  fact  and  think  for  themselves. 

His  scrap-book  offered  abundant  evidence  that 
he  himself  followed  this  sound  advice.  All  were 
arranged  in  the  nicest  order,  and  through  the  en- 
tire  series  I could  follow  the  trail  of  the  great  de- 
bater’s readings  from  their  beginning  almost  to 
the  present  time.  Thus,  for  the  year  1859,  I 
found  the  first  annotation  on  financial  subjects. 
These  are  at  first  somewhat  straggling,  mixed  in 
with  more  or  less  of  the  classic  poets.  Then  they 
become  more  frequent,  until  finally  they  outnum- 
ber all  other  topics,  and  are  full  of  “Tooke’s  His- 
tory of  Prices,”  and  “Sir  Archibald  Allison,”  that 
were  so  useful  when  Garfield  followed  Pig-Iron 
Kelley  into  the  history  of  France  and  England 
in  1879—80,  to  the  discomfiture  of  the  old  man 
and  his  soft-money  friends.  Re-enforcing  his  scrap- 
book, the  general  has  a large  case  of  pigeon-holes, 
holding,  perhaps,  fifty  boxes,  labeled  “ The  Press,” 
“French  Spoilation,”  “Tariff,”  “Geneva  Award,” 
“General  Politics,”  “State  Politics,”  “Public  Men,” 
“Parliamentary  Decisions,”  Anecdotes,”  “Elec- 
toral Laws  and  Commission,”  etc.,  etc.  These  are 
filled  with  the  choicest  references  and  bits  of  cur- 
rent literature  on  the  various  special  topics,  and 
are  continually  replenished  from  every  product  of 
the  printing  press. 


33$ 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


One  of  the  children  came  and  interrupted  us  at 
this  point.  The  general  took  the  child,  answered 
all  its  questions  and  then  tenderly  sent  it  away 
with  “there,  my  darling,  go  now  and  play.”  Just 
then  Mrs.  Garfield  came  to  the  head  of  the  stairs 
and  the  general  called  her  in.  After  introducing 
her,  he  put  his  arm  about  her  and  went  out  with 
her,  Mrs.  Garfield  saying  she  wished  to  speak  to 
him  about  some  household  affairs. 

Mrs.  Garfield  is  not  what  would  be  called  a 
pretty  woman,  but  she  is  tall,  fine-looking,  has  a 
kind,  good  face,  and  the  gentlest  of  manners.  She 
has  a slight  but  well-knit  form ; small  features 
with  a somewhat  prominent  forehead,  and  her 
black  hair,  crimped  in  front  and  done  up  in  a mod- 
est coil,  is  slightly  tinged  with  gray.  A pair  of 
black  eyes  and  a mouth  about  which  there  plays 
a sweetly  bewitching  smile  are  the  most  attrac- 
tive features  of  a thoroughly  expressive  face. 
She  is  a quick  observer,  an  intelligent  listener, 
but  undemonstrative  in  the  extreme.  When  the 
general  was  at  Chickamauga,  and  everybody  at 
Hiram  was  painfully  anxious  to  get  the  latest 
news  from  the  field  of  battle,  she  sat  quiet  and 
patient  in  what  is  now  Professor  Hinsdale’s  library, 
and  was  able  to  control  the  inmost  emotions  that 
swayed  her  breast. 

She  impressed  me  as  a thoroughly  domestic 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


339 


woman,  who  loves  her  home,  her  children  and  her 
husband.  Mary  Clemner  pays  her  the  following 
tribute : 

“She  has  ‘the  philosophic  mind’  that  Wordsworth  sings 
of,  and  she  has.a  self  poise,  a strength  of  unswerving  absolute 
rectitude.  * * * Much  of  the  time  that  other  women 

give  to  distributing  visiting-cards,  in  the  frantic  effort  to 
make  themselves  ‘ leaders  of  society,’  Mrs.  Garfield  spends  in 
the  alcoves  of  the  Congressional  Library,  searching  out  books 
to  carry  home  to  study  while  she  nurses  the  children.  You 
may  be  sure  of  one  thing — the  woman  who  reads  and  studies 
while  she  rocks  her  babies  will  not  be  left  far  behind  by  her 
husband  in  the  march  of  actual  growth.  I have  seen  many 
women  come  to  the  surface  of  capitolian  life  out  of  obscurity 
and  go  back  into  obscurity  again;  have  seen  hundreds  of  so- 
called  ‘leaders  of  society’  shrivel  and  go  out  in  the  scorch- 
ing flame  of  fashion ; while  I have  followed  with  a tender 
heart  this  woman,  the  wife  of  a famous  man — a woman  whom 
nobody  called  a ‘leader.’  She,  meanwhile,  has  not  been 
lifted  off  her  feet,  as  many  women  are,  by  her  husband’s 
rising  fortunes ; no  ‘ spreading  ’ forth  in  style  of  dress  or 
living,  no  ‘ airs.’  And  in  Washington,  in  official  life,  that 
means  everything — indicative  of  character.  She  has  moved 
on  in  the  tranquil  tenor  of  her  unobtrusive  way,  in  a life  of 
absolute  devotion  to  her  duty ; never  forgetting  the  demands 
of  her  position  or  neglecting  her  friends,  yet  making  it  her 
first  charge  to  bless  her  home,  to  teach  her  children,  to  fit 
her  boys  for  college,  to  be  the  equal  friend,  as  well  as  the 
honored  wife,  of  her  husband.  Gentle,  patient,  unobtrusive 
almost  to  timidity,  keenly  intelligent,  liberally  educated,  con- 
scientiously devoted  to  everything  good — this  is  the  woman 
who  will  perpetuate  the  loving,  consecrated  life  that  to-day 
abides  in  the  White  House,  if  as  its  mistress  she  enters  it.” 

Of  Mrs.  Garfield  the  general  said  on  his  return, 
and  his  voice  had  a touch  of  tenderness  : 


340 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


“I  have  been  wonderfully  blessed  in  the  discretion  of  my 
wife.  She  is  one  of  the  coolest  and  best-balanced  women  I 
ever  saw.  She  is  unstampedable.  There  has  not  been  one 
solitary  instance  of  my  public  career  where  I suffered  in  the 
smallest  degree  for  any  remark  she  ever  made.  It  would  have 
been  perfectly  natural  for  a woman  often  to  say  something 
that  could  be  misinterpreted ; but  without  any  design,  and 
with  the  intelligence  and  coolness  of  her  character,  she  has 
never  made  the  slightest  mistake  that  I ever  heard  of.  With 
the  competition  that  has  been  against  me,  many  times  such 
discretion  has  been  a real  blessing.” 

She  has  borne  the  general  six  children.  The 
first,  a daughter,  who  died  in  infancy.  Two  boys, 
Harry  Augustus  and  James  R.,  aged  eighteen 
and  sixteen  respectively,  are  students  at  St.  Paul’s 
School,  Concord,  N.  H.,  under  the  charge  of  the 
Rev.  Dr.  Coit.  They  entered  the  school  in  Sep- 
tember, 1879,  and  quickly  proved  themselves 
sturdy,  manly  boys,  and  good,  faithful  students. 
At  the  close  of  the  school  year  (June  24th,  1880), 
Harry  won  the  prize  for  the  best  English  decla- 
mation, the  qualities  for  which  he  has  no  doubt 
inherited  from  his  father — the  Webster  of  the 
West.  The  boys  were  both  in  the  fifth  form  this 
year,  and  will  be  prepared  to  enter  college  in  the 
coming  September.  The  third  child  is  Mary,  a 
rosy-cheeked,  laughing-eyed  girl  of  thirteen,  who 
is  called  “ Mollie  ” by  everybody.  The  next  is 
Irvin  McDowell — so  named  as  a sort  of  protest 
against  the  unwarranted  abuse  that  General  Mc- 
Dowell, Garfield’s  close  friend,  received  during 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


341 


and  after  the  war.  The  boy  is  nine  years  old. 
The  youngest  is  aged  six,  and  named  Abram — 
after  his  grandfather.  This  is  the  boy  I noticed 
up  in  the  cherry  tree,  as  I waited  for  the  general 
on  my  arrival. 

“ Have  you  met  mother?”  asked  my  host. 

“ No,”  I replied.  * 

“ Oh,  I want  to  introduce  you  then  ; you  must 
know  mother.”  He  spoke  of  her  so  often, 
and  so  tenderly,  I could  not  but  see  that  she  was 
constantly  in  his  thoughts. 

I went  down-stairs  to  see  her.  She  is  a very 
small  woman,  and  looked  almost  diminutive  be- 
side her  stalwart  son.  She  is  eighty,  quick  in 
her  movements,  and  in  full  possession  of  her 
mental  faculties.  She  is  thin,  white-haired,  rosy- 
cheeked,  and  has  a prominent  nose — like  many 
another  who  has  adorned  the  pages  of  history. 

On  being  introduced  I found  her  rather  reti- 
cent. She  seemed  to  be  most  concerned  about  the 
children  and  the  work  around  the  house,  that  it 
should  go  on  uninterruptedly  and  in  the  proper 
manner.  She  was  evidently  a matter-of-fact, 
common-sense  old  lady,  and  I could  not  but  ad- 
mire her,  remembering  her  sacrifices  for  her 
children,  and  how  she  had  cared  for  her  boy 
James,  laying  for  him  the  foundation  of  his 
present  eminence  when  she  counseled  him  to  “re- 
member his  God  and  study  books.” 

She  called  him  “ my  son,”  and  remarked  on  the 
20 


342 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


weather,  their  new  place,  and  asked  if  I was  mar 
ried  and  how  many  children  I had.  I could  not 
get  her  to  talk  about  politics  in  Washington,  and 
I do  not  believe  she  is  over-well  pleased  with  her 
son’s  nomination  for  President.  Of  course  she  is 
proud  of  him,  and  desires  his  success,  but  he  was 
already  a senator,  and  I think  the  old  lady  would 
have  preferred  to  have  had  him  go  no  higher. 
She  knew  he  would  be  away  from  their  rural 
home  most  of  the  time,  and,  pressed  by  public 
care  and  duty,  she  could  have  him  less  to  herself. 
Nor  can  you  wonder  at  this,  for  Garfield  makes 
his  home  so  much  of  a home,  as  he  reveals  him- 
self in  his  life  and  letters.  Here  are  two  to  Mr. 
Hinsdale : 

“ Mentor,  Ohio.,  May  13th,  1S77. 

“You  can  hardly  imagine  how  completely  I have  turned  my  mind  out  of 
its  usual  channels  during  the  last  four  weeks.  You  know  I have  never  been 
able  to  do  anything  moderately,  and,  to-day,  I feel  myself  lame  in  every 
muscle  with  too  much  lifting  and  digging.  I shall  try  to  do  a little  less  the 
coming  week.” 

“Washington,  November  2d,  1878. 

“ Last  evening  I called  on  Judge  Black  at  the  Ebbett  House,  and  found 
him  with  a Bible  in  his  hand.  He  said  : ‘ I don’t  know  any  one  who  has 
properly  appreciated  the  parables  of  Jesus.  I don’t  believe  that  the  man 
ever  lived  who  could  have  written  any  one  of  them,  even  the  least  of  them. 
They  are  unlike  anything  in  literature  or  philosophy  in  their  spirit,  purpose 
and  character.  If  they  were  all  that  Jesus  had  left  us,  they  would  be  con. 
elusive  proofs  of  His  divinity.’  What  do  you  think  of  this  ? The  Judge 
then  went  on  to  say  that  he  had  that  morning  asked  a lady  friend  to  lend 
him  some  books  for  Sunday  reading,  and,  among  others,  she  had  sent  him 
a volume  entitled  ‘ Alone  with  Jesus.’  ‘ And,’  said  he,  ‘ the  title  repelled 
me  for  two  reasons  : first,  it  is  a piece  of  spontaneous  egoism  for  any  man 
to  assume  that  he  is  of  so  much  consequence  in  the  universe  that  Christ 
would  shut  out  all  the  rest  of  the  world  and  attend  to  him ; and,  second,  I 


Dining-Room— General  Garfield’s  Home 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


345 


knew  a bank  cashier  who  stole  every  tiling  he  could  lay  his  hands  on,  and 
then  ran  away  in  the  night.  He  left  behind  him  a diary  full  of  the  most 
pious  ejaculations,  and  the  last  entry  he  made  in  it  was  this : “ Spent  an 
hour  of  sweet  communion  alone  with  Jesus.”  This  remembrance  spoiled 
the  book  for  me,  and  so  I have  not  read  it.’ 

“ I spent  several  hours  with  him,  and  found  him  more  than  usually  bril- 
liant. He  said  he  was  inclined  to  believe  that  a man  rarely,  after  he  was 
forty  years  old,  fell  in  love  with  a new  poet.  For  his  own  part,  no  one 
later  than  Byron  had  taken  much  hold  on  him.  Coleridge,  Southey  and 
Wordsworth  he  had  read  but  little,  probably  because  Byron  had  so  savagely 
denounced  them  as  the  lakers.  He  has  no  admiration  for  Tennyson,  and 
says  he  never  had  the  patience  to  wade  through  ‘ In  Memoriam.’  Fie  was 
greatly  pleased  with  my  plan  of  going  into  the  law,  and  proposed  to  form 
a sort  of  special  partnership  in  the  cases  that  he  and  I might  have  in  the 
Supreme  Court  here.  This  may  be  of  much  service  to  me.” 

While  I was  talking  with  Mother  Garfield,  the 
general’s  wife,  clad  in  a plain,  calico  dress,  came 
in  with  a work-basket,  and  sat  down  to  darn  the 
children’s  stockings.  Presently,  it  began  to  rain, 
and,  to  my  surprise,  the  old  lady  went  out  bare- 
headed, and  brought  in  a chair  off  the  lawn.  I 
remonstrated,  and  desired  to  assist  her,  but  she 
only  laughed  and  said:  “Nevermind,  it  won’t  hurt 
me.” 

At  dinner,  everybody  was  hunted  up,  and  one  ol 
the  general’s  secretaries  said:  “It  is  the  general’s 
orders  everybody  shall  come;  he  would  not  like  it 
if  any  one  went  away  hungry.” 

I sat  next  to  Mrs.  Garfield,  and  I found  her  a 
.ready  and  charming  conversationalist,  and  withal, 
so  easy,  modest,  gentle  and  attentive  in  her  man- 
ner, it  was  a pleasure  to  be  beside  her. 

The  children  had  a separate  table  near  Mrs. 
Garfield,  and  they  kept  constantly  speaking  to 


346 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


mamma,  and  breaking  in  on  her  conversation, 

. One  of  these  wild,  romping  boys,  came  and  put- 
ting his  arm  around  her  neck,  whispered  in  her 
ear.  She  tried  to  quiet  them,  but  they  were  so 
full  of  life  and  spirits  they  would  not  be  still. 
Turning  to  me,  she  said: 

“ What  would  you  do  with  such  a lot  ?” 

“ Let  them  alone,  and  bless  God  for  them.” 

“ Ah,  you  have  children,”  she  continued,  and 
on  my  answering  in  the  affirmative,  she  asked 
about  them,  how  many  were  boys,  how  many  girls, 
and  then  their  respective  ages,  until  she  had  learnt 
all.  And  with  such  mutually  interesting  chat,  the 
dinner  hour  sped  rapidly  away. 

After  it  was  over,  I went  with  the  general  to  his 
office,  where,  producing  a handful  of  cigars,  and 
lighting,  one,  he  talked  freely  of  many  things.  I 
asked  him  about  his  early  life,  and  he  spoke 
modestly  and  earnestly  of  his  struggles  with 
poverty.  The  sea  he  mentioned  enthusiastically, 
as  the  memory  of  his  first  fancies  came  over 
him. 

“ But  even  now,  at  times,  the  old  feeling  (the 
longing  for  the  sea)  comes  back,”  and,  walking 
across  the  room,  he  turned,  with  a flashing  eye : 
“ I tell  you  I would  rather  now  command  a fleet 
in  a great  naval  battle  than  do  anything  else  on 
this  earth.  The  sight  of  a ship  often  fills  me  with 
a strong  fascination,  and  when  upon  the  water, 
and  my  fellow-landsmen  are  in  the  agonies  of  sea- 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


347 

sickness,  I am  as  tranquil  as  when  walking  the 
land  in  the  serenest  weather.” 

I saw  from  his  conversation  he  thought  I had 
been  raised  in  a city  or  town,  and  knew  nothing  of 
farm-life.  I did  not  then  undeceive  him,  for  I 
wished  to  hear  his  story,  but  after  he  had  finished, 
I remarked : 

“ I know  all  about  that,  and  how  hard  it  is  ; for 
I have  been  through  it  all.” 

“ Ah,”  he  exclaimed,  “ then  you  were  raised  on 
a farm.” 

“Yes,  and  a poor  one  at  that,  at  the  foot  of  the 
Alleghany  Mountains,  where  we  all  had  to  scratch 
to  get  a living.” 

Laughing  heartily,  he  said,  musingly : 

“Tell  me,  now,  do  you  think  we  can  raise  men 
for  high  positions  ? There  are  my  boys,  I am 
educating  them  carefully,  but  I can’t  tell  if  they 
will  ever  be  heard  of,  and  I question  it.  No  doubt 
you  will  do  the  same  with  your  boys — but  will 
they  rise  in  the  world?  Won’t  it  happen  that 
some  poor  and  obscure  little  fellow,  who  has  to 
scratch  for  every  inch,  will  run  ahead  of  them  and 
come  to  the  front,  while  they  will  pass  away  un- 
known to  fame  ?” 

“ That  is  nearlyalways  the  case.” 

“ So  it  is ; and  it  makes  me  wonder  if  tender 
rearing  of  boys,  and  giving  them  an  elaborate 
education,  is  so  much  of  a benefit  to  them,  after 
all.” 


34S  LIFE  AND  public  career  of 

One  of  the  lads  about  whom  we  had  been  talk 
ing  came  in  at  the  moment,  to  say  the  workmen 
who  were  building  a fence  about  the  yard  wished 
to  see  the  general.  He  put  on  his  hat  and  went 
out,  first  giving  me  his  scrap-books,  and  asking 
me  to  amuse  myself  by  looking  them  over  until 
his  return.  He  stayed  so  long,  I lit  a cigar 
and  went  down  into  the  hall  to  smoke.  While  I 
was  waiting,  the  same  boy  came  back  and  told  his 
mother,  papa  wanted  to  see  her  about  the  fence. 
She  put  on  a hat  and  went  out,  and  on  going  to 
the  door,  I saw  the  general  was  himself  helping 
the  workmen  with  the  palings  and  posts.  Seeing 
me,  he  seemed  to  remember  he  had  left  me  wait- 
ing, and  at  once  came  up  to  excuse  himself:  “You 
see  we  have  a new  place  here,  and  I am  trying  to 
get  it  fixed  up.  I came  here  expecting  to  spend 
a quiet  vacation,  and  when  the  nomination  at  Chi- 
cago dropped  on  me,  it  found  us  all  up-side  down. 
So  many  people  are  coming  constantly,  I want  to 
get  it  in  order,  and  am  pushing  it  all  I can  by 
superintending  the  work  personally.” 

He  then  offered  to  go  up  to  the  office  again  and 
give  me  all  the  time  wanted  of  him,  but  I excused 
him,  saying  I thought  I had  taken  up  quite  enough 
of  his  day  already. 

He  expressed  great  willingness  to  attend  to 
me,  but  said  if  I did  not  want  him  he  would 
go  up-stairs  and  do  some  writing.  I went  up 
with  him  to  get  my  hat,  and  he  pointed  to  a 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD . 


349 


sheet  of  paper  lying  on  his  desk  which  I saw, 
from  the  different  headings  and  divisions,  was  the 
outline  of  his  letter  of  acceptance,  and  that  he  was 
hunting  up  authorities  which  he  wished  to  consult 
in  preparing  it. 

“A  tough  job,”  I ventured. 

“Yes,”  he  replied,  laughing,  “rather  a tough 
job,”  and  with  that  I left  him  to  his  work,  the  gen- 
eral seeing  me  to  the  door  and  bowing  me  out. 

I cannot  better  close  this  chapter  than  with  four 
of  Garfield’s  letters — letters  that  at  once  bring  us 
together  with  their  author ; that  seem  indeed  the 
happiest  of  introductions  to  our  hero.  They  were 
all  written  to  Mr.  Hinsdale : 


“ Hiram,  October  26th,  1865. 

“ I do  not  remember  to  have  claimed  that  St.  Cyril  was  tinctured  with 
Neoplatonism  ; but  I did  say  that  the  Church  at  Alexandria  was  consider- 
ably influenced  by  the  doctrines  of  that  sect.  I have  looked  into  it  a little 
and  find  a considerable  variety  of  opinions  among  different  authors. 
Gibbon  speaks  of  it  as  an  attempt  to  reconcile  the  doctrines  of  Plato  and 
Aristotle,  and  says  that  as  a philosophy  it  is  unworthy  of  notice.  It  is 
only  important  as  connected  with  Christianity.  The  bigotry  and  folly  of 
the  Church  persecuted  it.  Gibbon’s  commentator  says  the  Neoplatonists 
were  not  at  war  with  Christianity,  but  desired  to  apply  their  philosophy  to 
the  religion  of  Christ.  Gibbon  speaks  of  it  also  as  an  attempt  to  revive 
Paganism.  See  also  his  interesting  account  of  Julian  the  Apostate,  who 
was  a Neaplatonist  for  a while.” 


“ Washington,  January  1st,  1872. 

“ In  regard  to  the  authenticity  and  purity  of  the  Shakespeare  text  I have 
made  some  considerable  study,  and  with  what  I have  already  done,  I hope 
to  be  able  to  get  something  for  you  at  the  library,  either  in  the  way  of  a 
loan  or  of  reference,  and  I will  attend  to  it  soon.  * * * 

“ Have  you  seen  the  new  book  on  Physical  Geography  by  the  French 
writer,  Reclus  ? A translation  has  just  been  published  in  New  York.  I 
have  looked  over  it,  and  think  it  a remarkably  valuable  book.  The 
Evening  Post  has  said  of  it  within  the  past  two  or  three  days  that  it  is  the 
completest  work  extant  on  that  subject.” 


350 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


“ Washington,  February  22d,  1872. 

"Yours  of  the  16th  instant  is  received.  I am  glad  to  know  that  somebody 
has  related  the  subject  of  the  Holy  Roman  Empire  in  an  intelligent  way. 
It  has  always  been  to  me  one  of  the  dark  points  in  European  history.  1 
shall  get  the  book  without  delay,  and  read  it  as  soon  as  I can  steal  time 
enough  from  work  and  sleep. 

“ Since  I wrote  you  last,  I found  a book  which  interests  me  very  much. 
You  may  have  seen  it ; if  not,  I hope  you  will  get  it.  It  is  entitled,  ‘ Ten 
Great  Religions,’  by  James  Freeman  Clarke.  I have  read  the  chapter  on 
buddhism  with  great  interest.  It  is  admirably  written,  in  a liberal  and 
philosophical  spirit,  and  I am  sure  will  interest  you.  What  I have  read  of 
it  leads  me  to  believe  that  we  have  taken  too  narrow  a view  of  tho  subject 
of  religion.”  

“ Washington,  April  30th,  1874. 

“ There  is  much  in  life  to  make  one  sad  and  disheartened ; but  whether 
we  maintain  a cheerful  spirit  or  not,  depends  largely  on  the  way  in  which 
we  view  the  events  and  outcomes  of  life.  I think  the  main  point  of  safety 
is  to  look  upon  life  with  a view  of  doing  as  much  good  to  others  as 
possible,  and,  as  far  as  possible,  to  strip  ourselves  of  what  the  Frenoh  call 
egoism. 

“ The  worst  days  of  darkness  through  which  I have  ever  passed  have  been 
greatly  alleviated  by  throwing  myself  with  all  my  energy  into  some  work 
relating  to  others.  Your  life  is  so  much  devoted  in  this  direction  that  I 
tli ink  you  will  find  in  it  the  greatest  safety  from  the  danger  of  gloom.” 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD . 


35* 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

TWO  PEN  PORTRAITS. 

HIS  home  is  about  half-way  between  Men- 
tor and  Willoughby,  so  that  we  had  but 
two  miles  to  drive  to  the  station.  About 
a mile  and  a half  west  of  his  home  is  a curiosity 
in  the  shape  of  Joe  Smith’s  first  Mormon  temple. 
It  is  a plain,  but  queer-looking  structure,  that 
served  its  purpose  for  a while,  now  only  a curi- 
osity almost  useless.  This,  however,  did  not  de- 
tain me.  It  was  but  a speck  in  the  landscape 
of  a country  that  was  quite  attractive  and  enabled 
me  to  realize  why  the  general  wished  to  reside 
away  from  the  city’s  bustling  walls.  His  hard 
student  life  and  the  incessant  cares  of  public  duty 
in  Washington  could  all  be  left  behind,  and  he 
always  hastens  to  his  home  when  Congress  ad- 
journs. The  house  is  sufficiently  lonely  to  be  out 
of  the  way  of  idlers  or  mere  curiosity  callers,  and 
few  would  break  in  upon  the  rest  of  the  great 
statesman,  unless  they  were  called  thither  by  im- 
perative business.  He  needs  rest  and  leisure  to 
prepare  himself  for  the  winter  sessions  of  Con- 
gress at  Washington,  and  from  the  midst  of  this 
beautiful  scenery  he  returns  each  year  to  the 
capital  thoroughly  invigorated. 


352 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


My  youthful  companion  spoke  eloquently  of 
the  general  and  seemed  most  anxious  to  convince 
me  that  Garfield  was  really  a great  man.  I asked 
him  if  the  general  was  very  popular  with  the  peo 
pie  of  that  section,  and  he  replied:  “Well,  I 
should  say  so,  why  they  are  all  going  to  vote  for 
him.”  From  others  I learned  about  the  same 
thing,  and  came  to  the  conclusion,  that  if  a man  is 
best  judged  by  the  opinions  of  those  among 
whom  he  has  lived,  General  Garfield  is  peculiarly 
fortunate.  From  one  end  of  his  district  to  an- 
other, among  Republicans  and  Democrats  alike, 
no  one  speaks  of  him  but  in  the  language  of 
praise,  respect,  love  and  admiration.  The  same 
statement  applies  in  a large  degree  to  the  State. 
But  in  his  own  district,  among  his  old  friends  and 
neighbors,  he  stands  as  a synonym  for  all  that  is 
manly,  good  and  honest.  The  reader  has  men- 
tally photographed  him  from  what  I have  related 
above.  He  is  equally  interesting  as  others  see 
him.  George  Alfred  Townsend  drew  this  picture 
of  him  in  the  Cincinnati  Enquirer  : 

“ The  writer  has  known  General  Garfield  pretty  well  for 
thirteen  years.  He  is  a large,  well-fed,  hale,  ruddy,  brown- 
bearded  man,  weighing  about  two  hundred  and  twenty 
pounds,  with  Ohio  German  colors,  blue  eyes,  military  face, 
erect  figure  and  shoulders,  large  back  and  thighs,  and 
broad  chest,  and  evidently  bred  in  the  country  on  a farm. 
His  large  mouth  is  full  of  strong  teeth ; his  nose,  chin  and 
'brows  are  strongly  pronounced.  A large  brain,  with  room 
for  play  of  thought  and  long  application,  rises  high  above  his 


James  a.  garfield. 


353 


clear,  discerning,  enjoying  eyes.  He  sometimes  suggests  a 
country  Samson — strong  beyond  his  knowledge,  but  un- 
guarded as  a school-boy.  He  pays  little  attention  to  the 
affectation  by  which  some  men  manage  public  opinion,  and 
has  one  kind  of  behavior  for  all  callers,  which  is  the  most 
natural  behavior  at  hand.  Strangers  would  think  him  a little 
cold  and  mentally  shy.  On  acquaintance  he  is  seen  to  be 
hearty  above  everything,  loving  the  wife  around  him,  his 
family,  his  friends,  his  State  and  country.  Loving,  sympa- 
thetic and  achieving  people,  and  with  a large,  unprofessing 
sense  of  the  brotherhood  of  workers  in  the  fields  of  progress, 
it  was  the  feeling  of  sympathy  and  the  desire  to  impart  which 
took  him  for  chief,  while  as  to  the  pulpit,  or  on  the  verge  of 
it,  full  of  all  that  he  saw  and  acquired,  he  panted  to  give  it 
forth  after  it  had  passed  through  the  alembic  of  his  mind. 
Endowed  with  a warm  temperament,  copious  expression, 
large,  wide-seeing  faculties  and  superabundant  health,  he 
could  study  all  night  or  lecture  all  day,  and  it  was  a provi- 
dence that  his  neighbors  discovered  that  he  was  too  much  of 
a man  to  conceal  in  the  pulpit,  where  his  docility  and  rever- 
ence had  almost  taken  him.  They  sent  him  to  the  State 
Legislature,  where  he  was  when  the  war  broke  out,  and  he 
immediately  went  to  the  field,  where  his  courage  and  pains- 
taking parts  and  love  of  open-air  occupation,  and  perfect 
freedom  from  self-assertion  made  him  the  delight  of  Rose 
crans  and  George  H.  Thomas  successively.  He  would  go 
about  any  work  they  asked  of  him  ; was  unselfish  and  enthu- 
siastic, and  had  steady,  temperate  habits,  and  his  large  brain 
and  reverence  made  everything  novel  to  him. 

“There  is  an  entire  absence  of  nonchalance  or  worldliness 
in  his  nature.  He  is  never  indifferent,  never  vindictive.  A 
base  action  or  ingratitude  or  cruelty  may  make  him  sad,  but 
does  not  provoke  retaliation  or  alter  that  faith  in  men  or 
Providence  which  is  a part  of  his  sound  stomach  and  athletic 
head.  Garfield  is  as  simple  as  a child  ; to  the  serpent’s  wis- 
dom lie  is  a stranger.  Having  no  use  nor  aptitude  with  the 


354 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


weapons  of  coarser  natures,  he  often  avoids  mere  disputes, 
does  not  go  to  the  public  resorts  where  men  are  familiar  or 
vulgar,  and  the  walk  from  his  home  in  Washington  to  the 
Capitol,  and  an  occasional  dinner  out,  comprise  his  life. 
The  word  public  servant  especially  applies  to  him.  He  has 
been  the  drudge  of  his  State  constituents,  the  public,  the 
public  societies  and  the  moral  societies  of  his  party  and  coun- 
try, since  1863.  Aptitude  for  public  debate  and  public 
affairs  are  associated  with  a military  nature  in  him.  He  is  on 
a broad  scale  a school-master  of  the  range  of  Gladstone,  of 
Agassiz,  of  Gallatin. 

“ With  as  honest  a heart  as  ever  beat,  above  the  competitors 
of  sordid  ambition,  General  Garfield  has  yet  so  little  of  the 
worldly  wise  in  him  that  he  is  poor,  and  yet  has  been  accused 
of  dishonesty.  He  has  no  capacity  for  investment,  nor  the 
rapid  solution  of  wealth,  nor  profound  respect  for  the  penny 
in  and  out  ot  pound,  and  still,  is  neither  careless,  improvident 
nor  dependent  The  great  consuming  passions  to  equal  richer 
people  and  live  finely  and  extend  his  social  power  is  as  foreign 
to  him  as  scheming  or  cheating.  But  he  is  not  a suspicious  nor 
a high-mettled  man,  and  so  he  is  taken  in  sometimes,  partly 
from  his  obliging,  unrefusing  disposition.  Men  who  were 
scheming  imposed  upon  him  as  upon  Grant  and  other  crude- 
eyed men  of  affairs.  The  people  of  his  district,  who  are 
quick  to  punish  public  venality  or  defection,  heard  him  in 
his  defense,  in  1873,  and  kept  him  in  Congress  and  held  up 
his  hand,  and  hence  he  is,  by  their  unwavering  support  for 
twenty-five  years,  candidate  for  president  and  a national 
character.  Since  John  Quincy  Adams,  no  president  has  had 
Garfield’s  scholarship,  which  is  equal  up  to  this  age  of  wider 
facts.  The  average  American,  pursuing  money  all  day  long, 
is  now  presented  to  a man  who  had  invariably  put  the  busi- 
ness of  others  above  his  own,  and  worked  for  that  alleged 
nondescript — the  public  gratitude — all  his  life.  But  he  has 
not  labored  without  reward.  The  great  nomination  came 
to-day  to  as  pure  and  loving  a man  as  ever  wished  well  of 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


355 


anybody  and  put  his  shoulder  to  his  neighbor’s  wheel. 
Garfield’s  big,  boyish  heart  is  pained  to-night  with  the  weight 
of  his  obligation,  affection  and  responsibility.  To-day,  as 
hundreds  of  telegrams  come  from  everywhere,  saying  kind, 
strong  things  to  him — such  messages  as  only  Americans,  in 
their  rapid,  good  impulses,  pour  upon  a lucky  friend — he  was 
with  two  volunteer  clerks  in  a room,  opening  and  reading, 
and  suddenly  his  two  boys  sent  him  one — little  fellows  at 
school — and  as  he  read  it  he  broke  down,  and  tried  to  talk, 
but  his  voice  choked  and  he  could  not  see  for  tears.  The 
clerks  began  to  cry,  too,  and  people  to  whom  they  after- 
ward told  it.  This  sense  of  real  great  heart  will  be  new  to 
the  country,  and  will  grow  if  he  gets  the  presidency. 

“He  is  the  ablest  public  speaker  in  the  country,  and  the 
most  serious  and  instructive  man  on  the  stump ; his  instincts, 
liberal  and  right ; his  courtesy,  noticeable  in  our  politics ; 
his  aims,  ingenuous,  and  his  piety  comes  by  nature.  He 
leads  a farmer’s  life,  all  the  recess  of  Congress,  working 
like  a field  hand,  and  restoring  his  mind  by  resting  it. 
If  elected,  he  will  give  a tone  of  culture  and  intelli- 
gence to  the  executive  office  it  has  never  yet  had,  while 
he  has  no  pedantry  in  his  composition,  and  no  conceit 
whatever.  ’ ’ 

A more  elaborate  analysis  of  the  man  was  made 
by  Professor  B.  A.  Hinsdale,  President  of  Hiram 
College: 

o 

“His  power  of  logical  analysis  and  classification  is  very  great ; 
of  rhetorical  exposition  hardly  surpassed.  He  excels  in  the 
patient  accumulation  of  facts,  and  in  striking  generalizations. 
As  a student,  he  loves  to  roam  in  every  field  of  activity.  He 
delights  in  poetry  and  other  works  of  the  imagination  ; loves 
the  abstruse  things  of  philosophy;  takes  keen  interest  in 
scientific  research ; gathers  into  his  store-house  the  facts  of 
history  and  politics,  and  throws  over  it  all  the  life  and 


35° 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


warmth  of  his  own  originality.  Of  course,  he  is  not  a Scali 
ger,  a Des  Cartes,  a Newton ; no  man  in  public  life- — not 
even  Gladstone — can  be  these.  But  his  general  culture  is 
broad,  deep,  and  generous.  He  has  the  best  instincts  and 
habits  of  the  student  and  the  scholar.  Probably  no  man  in 
Congress  these  twelve  years  past  has  more  won  upon  our 
scientists,  our  scholars,  and  our  men  of  literature.-  He  was 
the  friend  of  Henry  and  of  Agassiz  : he  is  the  friend  of  How- 
ells, of  Lowell,  and  of  Parkman.  Withal,  he  is  an  orator. 
He  has  not  the  massive  grandeur  of  Webster,  the  brilliant 
declamation  of  Clay,  or  the  fervid  passion  of  Henry.  But  his 
speeches  are  strong  in  fact,  ribbed  with  principle,  lucid  in 
argument,  polished  in  diction,  rich  in  illustration,  and  warm 
with  the  vital  power  of  a noble  heart. 

“His  moral  character  is  the  fit  crown  to  his  physic d and 
intellectual  nature.  No  man  has  a kinder  heart  or  a purer 
mind.  His  generosity  of  nature  is  unstinted;  all  his  life, 
public  and  private,  is  marked  by  great  unselfishness.  For  the 
most  part,  he  has  neglected  material  acquisition;  but  his 
means,  as  well  as  his  time  and  talents,  are  at  the  call  of  those 
who  need  them.  I fearlessly  say  that  the  nearer  men  have 
come  to  General  Garfield  the  greater  has  been  their  confi- 
dence. I may  say  that  he  has  inspired  unusual  respect  and 
faith  in  all  large-minded  and  generous  men  without  regard  to 
politics.  He  has  commanded  success.  His  ability,  knowl- 
edge, mastery  of  questions,  generosity  of  nature,  devotion  to 
the  public  good,  and  honesty  of  purpose  have  done  the  work. 
He  has  never  had  a political  ‘machine.’  He  has  never  for- 
gotten the  day  of  small  things. 

“ I am  far  from  indorsing  all  of  General  Garfield’s  public 
acts.  Those  who  know  me  will  hardly  charge  me  with  being 
a fulsome  eulogist.  He  has  said  and  done  some  things  that  I 
have  been  sorry  to  have  him  say  and  do.  He  has  failed  to 
say  and  do  some  others  that  I have  had  much  at  heart.  But 
this  I see : He  has  served  the  public  with  conspicuous  ability 
and  a single  eye.  He  has  moved  all  the  time  in  the  right  di- 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD . 


357 


rection.  He  has  striven  to  make  the  public  service  clean  and 
honorable;  to  make  the  government  one  of  statesmen  and 
patriots,  not  of  demagogues  and  place-men  ; and  in  every 
way  to  dignify  and  ennoble  the  republic. 

“A  newspaper  man  from  a distant  city  asked  me  the  other 
day  : ‘ How  do  you  explain  the  common  lack  of  confidence 
in  Mr.  Garfield’s  courage?’  I said:  ‘Who  doubts  his 
courage  ?’  He  answered  that  he  had  heard  in  Washington 
and  in  other  places  that  he  lacked  backbone.  A few  ques- 
tions revealed  that  those  who  held  this  opinion  thought  that 
he  did  not  denounce  ‘the  Solid  South’  with  sufficient  sever- 
ity, and  was  not  properly  active  in  stirring  up  the  brigadiers. 
If  I may  parody  Madame  Roland,  ‘ O courage,  what  folly  is 
committed  in  thy  name!’  I have  known  a minister  of  the 
Gospel  to  be  called  a coward  because  he  could  recognize  the 
worth  of  those  who  did  not  worship  in  his  conventicle. 
Similarly,  eager  partisans  charge  with  cowardice  the  man  who, 
loyal  to  his  own  convictions  of  truth  and  duty,  dares  to  think 
and  act  for  himself.  In  both  cases  what  is  called  cowardice  is 
the  genuine  moral  courage.  To  go  with  the  stream — to  bless 
with  your  sect  or  to  hurrah  with  your  party — is  slight  proof 
of  courage;  but  to  stand  out  by  yourself  in  moral  isolation, 
to  bear  the  jibes  of  those  whom  you  call  your  brethren,  is  a 
very  high  proof  of  character.  Such  a man  is  General  Gar- 
field. He  has  uttered  many  noble  words ; but  none  nobler 
than  these,  spoken  in  the  Ohio  Senate  Chamber  just  after  his 
late  election  : 

“ ‘ Let  me  venture  to  point  a single  instance  in  regard  to 
that  work.  During  the  twenty  years  that  I have  been  in  pub- 
lic (almost  eighteen  of  it  in  the  Congress  of  the  United 
.States),  I have  tried  to  do  one  thing.  Whether  I was  mis- 
taken or  otherwise  it  has  been  the  plan  of  my  life  to  follow  my 
convictions,  at  whatever  personal  cost  to  myself.  I have  rep- 
resented for  many  years  a district  in  Congress  whose  approba- 
tion I greatly  desired,  but  though  it  may  seem  perhaps  a 
little  egotistical  to  say*  it,  I yet  desired  still  more  the  appro- 


358 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


bation  of  one  person,  and  his  name  was  Garfield.  He  is  the 
only  man  that  I am  compelled  to  sleep  with,  and  eat  with, 
and  live  with,  and  die  with,  and  if  I could  not  have  his  appro- 
bation, I should  have  bad  companionship.’  ” 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


359 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 


PREPARING  FOR  BATTLE. 

r ¥ ''HE  National  Convention  of  the  Republican 
Party  that  nominated  James  A.  Garfield 
for  the  Presidency,  was  one  of  the  most 
important  political  conventions  ever  held  in  this 
country.  Aside  from  the  ever-interesting  issue  of  a 
national  convention — a nominee — this  convention 
was  the  battle-ground  on  which  several  auestions 

O J- 

of  the  utmost  importance  to  political  life  in  this 
country  were  settled  only  at  the  conclusion  of  a 
hard-foug-ht  struggle.  The  unit  rule,  the  third- 
term  issue,  district  representation,  and  the  still 
more  vital  issue  of  party  managers  trampling  on 
popular  wishes  and  opposing  the  will  of  those  who 
placed  them  in  power,  made  up  a total  of  interest 
never  before  equaled  in  the  history  of  the  party. 
The  struggle  surpassed  in  fierceness  the  bitterest 
fights  on  record.  A brief  history  of  this  conven- 
tion is,  therefore,  valuable  for  present  reading,  as 
it  furnishes  many  a lesson  for  the  campaign,  and 
most  happily  illustrates  the  peculiar  fortunes  of 
General  Garfield,  who,  while  ever  in  patient  wait- 
ing, has  had  his  long  succession  of  honors  seek 
him  openly.  It  is  a curious  story  of  cause  and 
effect. 


21 


360 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


The  convention  assembled  in  the  Exposition 
Building,  at  Chicago,  on  June  2d.  The  great  men 
of  the  party  were  all  there,  and  the  list  of  those 
who  held  seats  is  as  follows : 

Alabama. — George  Turner,  J.  H.  Thomaston,  B.  S.  Tur- 
ner, G.  H.  Brayton,  James  Gillette,  Allen  Alexander,  Paul 
Strobach,  G.  W.  Washington,  J.  Heyman,  William  Young- 
blood, W.  J.  Stevens,  J.  T.  Rapier,  L.  E.  Parsons,  H.  C. 
Bryant,  W.  S.  Byrd,  N.  W.  Tremble,  R.  A.  Mosley,  A. 
Bingham,  A.  McCulloch,  J.  M.  Hines. 

Arkansas. — S.  W.  Dorsey,  M.  W.  Gibbs,  H.  P.  Robinson, 
S.  H.  Holland,  J.  H.  Johnson,  O.  A.  Hadley,  Powell  Clay- 
ton, O.  P.  Snyder,  Jacob  Tireber,  James  K.  Barnes,  J.  A. 
Barnes,  Ferdinand  Havis. 

California. — J.  C.  Wilmerding,  Samuel  Mosgrove,  J K. 
Doak,  Creed  Haymond,  E.  A.  Davis,  Joseph  Russ,  Alexander 
D.  Sharon,  Socrates  Huff,  H.  T.  Fairbanks,  John  Mansfield, 
D.  S.  Paine,  F.  M.  Pixley. 

Colorado. — Ex-Governor  Rosett,  Amos  Sleek,  J.  A.  El- 
lett,  L.  Head,  George  T.  Black,  M.  M.  Megure. 

Connecticut. — Henry  C.  Robinson,  John  M.  Douglass, 
Augustus  Brandagee,  Samuel  Fessenden,  Andrew  S.  Upson, 
William  M.  Corbin,  Hobart  B.  Bigelow,  William  C.  Hough, 
Daniel  Chadwick,  Jeremiah  Olney,  Edgar  S.  Tweedy,  N.  T. 
Baldwin. 

Delaware. — Christian  Febiger,  Levi  R.  Clarke,  N.  B. 
Smithers,  James  R.  Lofland,  Benjamin  Burton,  Albert  Curry. 

Florida. — W.  W.  Hicks,  F.  C.  Humphreys,  E.  J.  Alex- 
ander, R.  E.  Smith,  Joseph  E.  Lee,  Y.  J.  Shipman,  Sherman 
Conant,  James  Dean. 

Georgia.— E.  C.  Wade,  J.  F.  Long,  W.  A.  Pledger,  Ed- 
win Belcher,  L.  B.  Toomer,  Floyd  Snelson,  B.  F.  Brimberry, 
John  Fow,  Jack  Brown,  Elbert  Head,  R.  D.  Lock,  J.  C. 
Beall,  A.  E.  Buck,  H.  A.  Rucker,  W.  W.  Brown,  J.  B.  De' 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD.  36 1 

veaux,  A.  M.  Middlebrook,  H.  B.  Hickenbotom,  C.  II.  Prince, 
J.  W.  Lyons,  S.  A.  Darnell,  Madison  Davis. 

Illinois — John  A.  Logan,  E.  A.  Storrs,  G.  B.  Raum,  D. 
T.  Little,  John  Wentworth,  S.  A.  Douglas,  A.  M.  Wright,  R. 
S.  Tuthill,  John  L.  Beveridge,  L.  J.  Kadisch,  N.  C.  Thomp- 
son, N.  N.  Ravlin,  J.  B.  Brown,  Miles  White,  Henry  T. 
Noble,  W.  IT.  Shepard,  E.  F.  Bull,  E.  W.  Willard,  J.  B. 
Wilson,  R.  J.  Hanna,  Joab  Mershen,  R.  II.  Whitney,  Hosea 
Davis,  F.  B.  Burgett,  O.  B.  Hamilton,  T.  G.  Black,  G.  hi. 
Brinkerhoff,  C.  M.  Eames,  John  McNulta,  Major  V.  Warner, 

J.  V.  Harris,  Hayworth,  W.  H.  Barlow,  A.  P.  Green, 

J.  M.  Truitt,  Lewis  Krueghoff,  A.  W.  Metcalf,  Richard 
Rowett,  C.  O.  Patrel,  J.  M.  Davis,  C.  W.  Pavey,  W.  H. 
Williams. 

Indiana — Benjamin  Harrison,  George  W.  Friedley,  Daniel 
B.  Kumler,  James  S.  Collins,  Alexander  Gilchrist,  W.  M. 
Hoggatt,  John  B.  Glover,  S.  E.  Kerchival,  W.  B.  Slemmens, 
J.  H.  Friedley,  John  H.  Crozier,  F.  Adkinson,  David  A. 
Beem,  Joseph  B.  Homan,  Milton  Peden,  T.  M.  Little,  R.  O. 
Hawkins,  J.  B.  McFadden,  William  R.  McKeen,  E.  II.  Nc- 
becker,  B.  K.  Higginbottom,  G.  F.  Crittenden,  F.  S.  Bedell, 
John  W.  Wimer,  J.  J.  Todd,  J.  F.  Vail,  W.  M.  Clapp,  C.  K. 
Baxter,  Clement  Studebaker,  B.  F.  Davenport. 

Iowa — J.  S.  Clarkson,  S.  M.  Clark,  D.  B.  Henderson, 
George  D.  Perkins,  J.  S.  Hurley,  FI.  A.  Burrell,  H.  C.  Carr, 
J.  W.  Thompson,  George  W.  Bassett,  P.  F.  Sturgis,  H.  L. 
Huff,  L.  F.  Butler,  F.  J.  Upton,  R.  M.  Haines,  J.  F.  Green- 
lee, George  D.  Wooden,  J.  S.  Runnells,  J.  R.  McKee,  C. 
W.  Llewellen,  W.  P.  Sharpe,  B.  F.  Harkness,  W.  D.  Lucas. 

Kansas — John  A.  Martin,  George  H.  Case,  S.  S.  Bene- 
dict, B.  W.  Perkins,  H.  P.  Walcott,  Perry  Hutchinson, 
Simeon  Motz,  B.  F.  Simpson,  P.  B.  Plumb,  William 
Thompson. 

Kentucky — Walter  Evans,  W.  O.  Bradley,  John  D. 
White,  John  II.  Jackson,  J.  R.  Puryear,  J.  R.  Happy,  A.  II. 
Clark,  E.  C.  Hubbard,  W.  G.  Hunter,  George  F.  Blakey,  E. 


362 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


H.  Hobson,  John  W.  Lewis,  Silas  F.  Miller,  James  F.  Buck- 
ner, J.  E.  Hamilton,  John  E.  Barbour,  R.  P.  Stoll,  William 
Brown,  J.  K.  Faulkner,  Logan  McKee,  A.  E.  Adams,  A.  T. 
Wood,  W.  W.  Culbertson,  Morris  Hutchings. 

Louisiana — H.  C.  Warmoth,  John  T.  Ludeling,  William 
P.  Kellogg,  A.  S.  Badger,  A.  H.  Leonard,  J.  S.  Matthews, 
David  Young,  J.  Wharton,  James  Lewis,  A.  J.  Dumont, 
Richard  Simms,  Samuel  Wakefield,  William  Harper,  W.  L. 
McMillen,  J.  II.  Burch,  Don  A.  Pardee. 

Maine — Eugene  Hale,  E.  T.  Gile,  Joseph  R.  Bodwell, 
Almon  A.  Strout,  William  W.  Thomas,  Jr.,  Jos.  R.  Libby, 
William  P.  Frye,  J.  W.  Wakefield,  Joseph  H.  Manly,  S.  S. 
Marble,  Lewis  Baker,  Llewellyn  Powers,  L.  G.  Downs,  John 
S.  Case. 

Maryland — James  A.  Gary,  Jacob  Tome,  Ll'oyd  Lowndes, 
J.  Morrison  Harris,  Cnarles  T.  Wescott,  Samuel 'Mallalieu, 
J.  A.  J.  Cresswell,  J.  J.  Weaver,  I).  R.  West,  W.  TV.  John- 
son, Dr.  H.  J.  Drown,  W.  J.  Flooper,  Colonel  J.  P^owan 
Crone,  John  W.  Bell,  Upton  W.  Boorman,  B.  H.  Miller. 

Massachusetts — George  F.  Hoar,  Charles  R.  C adman, 
John  E.  Sanford,  J.  M.  Barker,  C.  W.  Clifford,  A.  Eldridge, 
W.  C.  Lowring,  F.  A.  Hobart,  Phineas  Pierce,  C.  Burnham, 
Eustace  C.  Fitz,  J.  O.  Wetherbee,  Henry  C.  Lodge,  Daniel 
Russell,  Dudley  Porter,  N.  A.  Morton,  G.  S.  Boutwell,  G. 
A.  Marden,  R.  M.  Morse,  Jr.,  G.  W.  Johnson,  W.  S.  B.  Hop- 
kins, William  Knowlton,  A.  Harding,  T.  Merrick,  W.  Smith, 
hi.  B.  Whitney. 

Michigan — James  F.  Joy,  Perry  Hannah,  Omar  D.  Con- 
ger, E.  C.  Watkins,  W.  G.  Thompson,  D.  O.  Farrand,  J.  D. 
R.owan,  L.  L.  Penficld,  C.  D.  Randall,  Morgan  Bates,  A.  PI. 
Morrison,  J.  W.  French,  George  A.  Farr,  A.  B.  Watson, 
Charles  Kipp,  E.  M.  Adams,  B.  W.  Huston,  William  Jenny,  E. 
O.  Avery,  Thomas  N.  Stevens,  J.  II.  Chandler,  D.  A.  Blodgett. 

Minnesota — D.  Sinclair,  D.  M.  Sabin,  A.  O.  Whipple, 
Dorilus  Morrison,  A.  C.  Wedge,  J.  V.  Daniels,  Marcus  John- 
son, George  Bryant,  E.  F.  Drake,  C.  F.  Kindred. 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


363 


Mississippi — B.  K.  Bruce,  James  Hill,  Gcorg'e  M.  Bu- 
chanan, Ilaribce  0.  Carter,  W.  II.  Kennon,  George  C. 
McKee,  Henry  C.  Niles,  Joshua  R.  Smith,  George  W.  Gales, 
F.  M.  Libby,  Samuel  P.  Plurst,  IV.  W.  Bell,  Green  C.  Chan- 
dler, Charles  W.  Clarke,  Richard  F.  Beck,  R.  II.  Mont- 
gomery. 

Missouri — C.  I.  Filley,  FI.  E.4Havens,  David  Wagner,  R. 
T.  Van  Horn,  John  A.  Weber,  Nicholas  Berg,  T.  B.  Rogers, 
J.  A.  Wheeler,  John  II.  Pullman,  Thomas  Gallen,  William 
Ballentine,  James  Lindlev,  J.  G.  Baker,  T.  A.  Lowe,  R.  C. 
McBeth,  W.  E.  Maynard,  A.  D.  Jaynes,  A.  G.  Hollenbeck, 
W.  J.  Terrell,  L.  C.  Slavens,  N.  F.  Essex,  S.  C.  Closky, 
Thomas  D.  Neal,  George  Hall,  G.  J.  Whiteman,  II.  N.  Cook, 
H.  N.  Hiller,  J.  E.  Adams,  R.  A.  Bucker,  Stuart  Cartaner. 

Nebraska — J.  W.  Dawes,  L.  C.  Crounse,  William  Gastin, 
J.  L.  Mitchell,  N.  Perringer,  D.  A.  Lewis. 

Nevada — E.  Strother,  C.  C.  Stevenson,  M.  D.  Foley,  W. 
W.  Bishop,  J.  J.  Meigs,  T.  D.  Edwards. 

New  Hampshire — William  E.  Chandler,  Ruel  Durkee, 
David  H.  BufTum,  Benjamin  F.  Prescott,  Charles  H.  Murphy, 
Joel  Eastman,  Charles  Holman,  James  G.  Sturgis,  Anson  L. 
Brown,  S.  W.  Ilale. 

New  Jersey — Judson  Kilpatrick,  George  A.  Halsey,  Wil- 
liam J.  Sewell,  William  Walter  Phelps,  C.  II.  Sinnickson, 
Samuel  Hopkins,  John  S.  Irick,  John  S.  Schultz,  John  F. 
Babcock,  Chilion  Robbins,  N.  W.  Voorhies,  W.  A.  Stiles,  II. 
L.  Butler,  A.  A.  Vance,  E.  L.  Joy,  A.  P.  Condit,  James  M. 
Gopsill,  B.  W.  Throckmorton. 

New  York — Roscoe  Conklin,  Chester  A.  Arthur,  Alonzo 
B.  Cornell,  James  D.  Warren,  John  Birdsall,  S.  L.  Hawkins, 
James  Jourdan,  Amos  F.  Learned,  F.  A.  Schroeder,  Alber 
Daggett,  Jacob  Worth,  Benjamin  F.  Tracey,  Edwards  Pierre- 
pont,  E.  W.  Stoughton,  Charles  E.  Cornell,  DeWitt  C. 
Wheeler,  J.  M.  Patterson,  Jr.,  J.  J.  O’Brien,  J.  D.  Lawson, 
Charles  Blaikie,  Solon  B.  Smith,  Bernard  Biglin,  Joel  W. 
Mason,  S.  B.  French,  Thomas  Murphy,  Jacob  Hess,  W.  H. 


364 


LIFE  AND  FUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


Robertson,  J.  W.  Husted,  L.  F.  Payne,  S.  B.  Dutcher,  M. 
D.  Stivers,  B.  G.  Wales,  George  II.  Sharpe,  Rufus  PI.  King, 
Henry  R.  Pierson,  C.  P.  Eaton,  John  M.  Francis,  Isaac  Y. 
Baker,  Jr.,  W.  W.  Rockwell,  O.  Abell,  Jr.,  W.  S.  Dickinson, 
II.  R.  James,  Webster  Wagner,  George  West,  David  Wilber, 
Ferris  Jacobs,  J.  P.  Douglass,  S.  Sylvester,  E.  PI.  Shelley, 
W.  H.  Comstock,  George  L.  Case,  C.  L.  Kendedy,  D. 
McCarthy,  James  G.  Belden,  W.  B.  Woodin,  J.  B.  Murray, 

F.  O.  Mason,  G.  N.  Hicks,  T.  C.  Platt,  O.  W.  Chapman, 
Justin  S.  Cole,  C.  J,  Langdon,  E.  A.  Frost,  II.  A.  Brunner, 

G.  G.  Hoskins,  J.  E.  Pound  R.  V.  Pierce,  John  Nice,  N. 

H.  Allen,  L.  B.  Sessions. 

North  Carolina — W.  P.  Canady,  D.  H.  Starbuclc,  J.  H. 
Harris,  Rufus  Barringer,  Poleman  John,  Samuel  T.  Carrow, 
Israel  B.  Abbott,  C.  Faison,  O.  H.  Blocker,  George  W.  Price, 
Isaac  J.  Young,  Stuart  Ellison,  Thomas  B.  Keogh,  J.  H. 
Hardin,  O.  J.  Spears,  W.  R.  Myers,  W.  W.  Rollins,  D.  C. 
Pearson- 

Ohio- -William  Dennison,  Warner  M.  Bateman,  James  A. 
Garfield,,  Charles  Foster,  Benjamin  Butterworth,  Albert 
Schwill,  Henry  Kessler,  C.  Fleischmann,  D.  W.  McClung, 
A.  R.  Creamer,  W.  D.  Bickham,  F.  G.  Thompson,  Joseph 
Lawrence,  J.  W.  Conklin,  J.  II.  Ritchie,  M.  M.  Fourelle, 
Marcus  Boggs,  Alphonso  Hart,  C.  B.  Wright,  J.  F.  Gowery, 
William  C.  Cooper,  James  Glover,  I.  F.  Mack,  D.  M.  Hark 
ness,  William  Nash,  David  Willetts,  F.  C.  Sessions,  John 
Groce,  A.  W.  Train,  J.  Buckingham,  H.  C.  Hedges,  S.  II. 
Hunt,  R.  M.  Stevenson,  J.  L.  Dougherty,  J.  S.  Pierce,  J.  D. 
Taylor,  J.  H.  Tripp,  A.  W.  Jones,  W.  II.  Williams,  L.  A. 
Sheldon,  Evan  Morris,  J.  C.  Beatty,  S.  T.  Everett,  James 
Burnett. 

Oregon— J.  H.  Mitchell,  D.  K.  Hanna,  J.  M.  McCall,  N. 
W.  Scott,  D.  N.  Ireland,  O.  P.  Tompkinson. 

Pennsylvania — Matthew  S.  Quay,  Linn  Bartholomew, 
James  McManes,  Christopher  L.  Magee,  William  Elliott,  W. 
S.  Douglass,  W.  R.  Leeds,  David  PI.  Lane,  William  L.  Smith, 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


365 


David  Mouat,  W.  Ellwood  Rowan,  H.  Disston,  Thomas  J. 
Powers,  Adam  Albright,  Amos  Gartside,  W.  B.  Waddell,  C. 
N.  Taylor,  D.  O.  Hitner,  Chester  N.  Farr,  Samuel  R.  Deppin, 

A.  J.  Kaufmann,  William  K.  Seltzer,  H.  J.  Reeder,  Harrison 
Bortz,  S.  V.  Thompson,  W.  A.  W.  Grier,  J.  J.  Albright, 
Alexander  Farnham,  Samuel  A.  Losch,  William  S.  Morehead, 
J.  D.  Cameron,  John  K.  Clement,  O.  D.  Kinney,  C.  C.  Jad- 
win,  W.  H.  Armstrong,  Thomas  L.  Kane,  John  Cessna,  David 
Over,  J.  G.  Isenberg,  B.  F.  Wagenseller,  James  Hurst,  John 
Hays,  James  A.  Beaver,  M.  L.  Brosius,  George  Huff,  George 
S.  M.  Baile,  W.  C.  Moreland,  James  D.  McDevitt,  VVilliam 

B.  Rogers,  James  FI.  Lindsay,  J.  H.  Harrah,  John  McKinley, 
Joseph  Buffington,  James  E.  Long,  Thomas  Robinson,  John 
I.  Gordon,  C.  M.  Reed,  Harrison  Allen. 

Rhode  Island — John  P.  Sanborn,  Thomas  W.  Chase, 
Isaac  M.  Potter,  Almon  K.  Goodwin,  Charles  H.  Handy, 
David  L.  Aldrich,  William  A.  Price,  Horace  A.  Jenckes. 

South  Carolina — E..  W.  M.  Mackey,  Samuel  Lee,  E.  M. 
Brayton,  R.  B.  Elliott,  D.  D.  McCall,  W.  A.  Ilayne,  C.  C. 
Bowen,  W.  N.  Taft,  W.  M.  Fine,  C.  M.  Wilder,  Samuel  T. 
Poinier,  Wilson  Cook,  W.  F.  Myers,  W.  J.  Whipper. 

Tennessee — L.  C.  Houck,  H.  H.  Harrison,  J.  M.  Thorn- 
burg, David  Nunn,  R.  R.  Butler,  Jesse  T.  Rogers,  E.  T.  San- 
ford, J.  N.  Cordell,  W.  S.  Tipton,  W.  T.  Cate,  H.  L.  W. 
Cheatham,  J.  S.  Smith,  W.  II.  Wisener,  W.  Y.  Elliott,  S.  O. 
W.  Brandon,  W.  H.  Young,  A.  M.  Hughes,  Jr.,  B.  A.  J. 
Nixon,  T.  E.  Muse,  E.  G.  Rigely,  W.  M.  Hall,  II.  Summer- 
ville, Larkin  Williams,  Fred  H.  Hunt. 

Tf  las. — 'E.  J.  Davis,  Webster  Flanagan,  A.  B.  Norton, 
W.  T.  Holland,  G.  M.  Dilley,  William  Chambers,  A.  G. 
Malloy,  W.  II.  Hakes,  C.  C.  Binckley,  D.  A.  Robertson,  J. 
G.  Tracey,  V/.  R.  Chase,  N.  W.  Cuney,  R.  A.  Harber,  A. 
Scimering,  E.  H.  Terrell. 

Vermont. — John  Gregory  Smith,  John  W.  Stewart,  Fred- 
erick Billings,  George  W.  Flooker,  J.  G.  McCullough,  L. 
Bart  Cross,  John  B.  Mead,  Henry  C.  Belden,  G:  G.  Bene- 
dict, C.  S.  Page. 


3^6 


LIFE  A ED  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


Virginia — Sheffey  Lewis,  Peter  J.  Carter,  Joseph  Jorgen- 
sen, J.  W.  Poindexter,  L.  A.  Stewart,*  John  W.  Woltz,  Rob- 
ert Norton,  George  E.  Bowden,  Otis  H.  Russell,  Josiah 
Crump,  W.  L.  Fernakl,  James  D.  Brady,  H.  C.  Harris,  W. 
II.  Pleasants,  T.  F.  Wilson,  W.  R.  Watkins,  F.  T.  Ware, 
John  Donovan,  William  Brown,  L.  L.  Lewis,  H.  O.  Austin, 
C.  C.  Thompkins. 

West  Virginia — A.  W.  Campbell,  S.  P.  McCormick,  W. 
J.  Barley,  John  H.  Riley,  C.  D.  Hubbard,  A.  C.  Moore,  J. 
T.  Hope,  J.  M.  Hagans,  Z.  D.  Ramshell,  L.  A.  Martin. 

Wisconsin — J.  B.  Cassidy,  Thomas  B.  Scott,  Edward 
Sanderson  M.  Van  Steenwyk,  J.  V.  Quarles,  Charles  Palmer- 
ter,  A.  J.  Turner,  George  E.  Bryant,  W.  E.  Carter,  N.  L. 
James,  F.  C.  Winkler,  E.  M.  Rogers,  W.  II.  Hempsche- 
meyer,  J.  C.  Wedge,  Levi  Howland,  Philetus  Sawyer,  J.  M. 
Rush,  F.  L.  Gilson,  Isaac  Stevenson,  S.  W.  Plunt. 

When  the  convention  opened  its  doors,  the 
three  great  political  leaders  who  were  expected  to 
change  every  result,  rather  by  opposition  than  ad- 
vocacy, were  Senator  Conkling,  of  New  York, 
Senator  Logan,  of  Illinois,  and  Senator  Cameron, 
of  Pennsylvania.  These  gentlemen  were  leaders 
of  an  alliance  of  the  most  formidable  and  asm-res- 

oo 

sive  character.  Senator  Cameron  was  absolute 
master  of  the  Republican  organization  in  Penn- 
sylvania, Senator  Conkling  had  almost  as  firm  a 
hold  upon  that  of  New  York,  and  Senator  Logan, 
though  not  quite  so  thoroughly  monarch  of  Illi- 
nois, sat  far  more  securely  upon  his  self-estab- 
lished throne  than  any  one  imagined.  No  one  of 
these  men  could  give  himself  the  nomination,  nor 
hand  it  over  to  anybody  who  would  recognize  the 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


367 


giver  as  the  only  power  behind  the  throne. 
W orking  together  for  a common  end,  to  serve 
their  common  ambition  for  political  power,  a vic- 
tory seemed  easily  possible.  If  they  could  not, 
like  Ccesar,  Cassius  and  Pompey,  divide  “ this 
great  empire  ” between  them,  they  might  jointly 
o-overn  it  through  a man  of  their  own  selection, 
and  each  be  secured  in  the  absolute  patronage  of 
a State,  so  great  as  to  be  an  empire  in  itself. 

Ulysses  S.  Grant,  already  twice  president,  was 
the  fast  friend  of  these  three  who  were  deter- 
mined to  nominate  him  for  the  presidency,  whether 
it  was  the  wish  of  the  people  or  not.  He  was 
their  choice,  and  they  recognized  no  other  law. 
The  higher  law  of  the  nation’s  will  was  nothinor 
to  them.  The  State  conventions  had  been  adroitly 
managed,  packed  with  Grant  delegates,  and  with 
these  the  efreat  leaders  went  to  Chicago,  to  force 
Grant’s  candidacy.  Arrayed  against  them  were 
the  friends  of  James  G.  Blaine,  John  Sherman, 
Elihu  B.  Washburne,  Senator  Windom,  Senator 
Edmunds,  and  a number  of  other  gentlemen,  who 
were  esteemed  fit  to  fill  the  office  of  President  of 
the  United  States. 

There  was  no  waiting  to  begin  the  battle  ; 
as  fast  as  delegates  and  delegation  body-guards 
arrived,  they  engaged  at  once.  By  Monday  pre- 
ceding the  Wednesday  the  convention  assem- 
bled, Chicago  was  in  a boil.  The  battle  had 
opened  in  earnest.  The  city  seemed  transformed. 


363 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAPPER  OF 


it  bubbled  with  an  unknown  excitement.  Those 
who  had  witnessed  every  convention  of  the  Re- 
publican party,  since  it  was  a party,  say  that  they 
never  had  seen  such  a seething  mass  of  political 
wranglers  as  gathered  in  and  around  the  palatial 
Chicago  hotels.  Immense  and  numerous  as  these 
hotels  are,  they  were  crowded  to  the  utmost. 
The  more  prominent  of  them  were  made  dazzling 
as  the  noonday  sun  with  the  un-sunlike  glare  of 
electric  lights.  Statesmen,  professional  politicians, 
carpet-baggers,  all  sorts,  sizes  and  colors  of  men, 
thronged  the  halls,  dining-rooms,  parlors,  corri- 
dors and  the  stairs  of  acceptable  rooms  occupied 
as  head-quarters  of  regular  delegations,  com- 
mittees, clubs,  and  every  possible  form  of  organi- 
zation that  gave  any  promise  of  hindering  or  pro- 
moting particular  candidates.  Indeed,  the  whole 
battle  seemed  to  be  one  of  mean  ambition,  or 
meaner  cupidity,  and  candidates  were  favored  or 
opposed,  as  a rule,  by  the  ruck — not  the  great 
men — by  those  who  hoped  to  profit  by  their 
efforts. 

The  first  effort  of  the  anti-Grant  men  was  to 
break  down  the  unit  rule,  by  which  the  delegates 
from  New  York,  Pennsylvania  and  Illinois  wen 
bound  to  the  wish  of  Colliding,  Cameron  and  Lo- 
gan. A meeting  of  the  National  Committee  was 
called,  and  all  interest  at  once  centred  in  the  pro- 
ceedings. The  corridors  of  the  Palmer  House, 
leading  to  the  committee-room,  were  choked  by 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


3^9 


earnest,  eager,  anxious  people.  The  meeting  of 
the  committee  was  secret.  Senator  Cameron  pre- 
sided, and  hardly  had  he  called  the  committee  to 
order  before  the  following  resolutions  were  offered 
by  William  E.  Chandler  of  New  Hampshire: 

Resolved,  That  this  committee  approves  ana  ratifies  the 
call  for  the  approaching  Republican  National  Convention, 
which  was  issued  by  its  chairman  and  secretary,  and  which 
invites  two  delegates  from  each  Congressional  District,  four 
delegates-at-large  from  each  State,  two  from  each  Territory 
and  two  from  the  District  of  Columbia,  to  compose  the  con- 
vention. 

Resolved,  That  this  committee  recognizes  the  right  of  each 
delegate  in  a Republican  National  Convention  freely  to  cast 
and  to  have  counted  his  individual  vote  therein,  according  to 
his  own  sentiments;  and,  if  he  so  decides,  against  any  unit 
rule  or  other  instructions  passed  by  a State  Convention,  which 
right  was  conceded  without  dissent  and  was  exercised  in  the 
conventions  of  1S60  and  1868,  and  was,  after  full  debate, 
affirmed  by  the  convention  of  1876,  and  has  thus  become  a 
part  of  the  law  of  Republican  Conventions,  and  until  reversed 
by  a convention  itself,  must  remain  a governing  principle. 

The  first  resolution  was  adopted  unanimously. 
Senator  Cameron  then  showed  his  hand,  and  ruled 
the  second  resolution  out  of  order.  An  appeal 
from  his  decision  he  refused  to  entertain.  At  this 
there  was  much  consternation  among  the  anti- 
Grant  people,  who  for  a moment  seemed  be- 
wildered. Representative  Frye,  of  Maine,  in- 
quired of  the  chair  where  he  had  learned  parlia- 
mentary law,  and  William  E.  Chandler  announced 


370 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


that  if  the  chairman  would  not  pay  any  respect  to 
the  committee,  the  same  power  that  made  him 
chairman  would  remove  him.  Mr.  Filley,  of  Mis- 
souri, came  to  the  chairman’s  assistance  in  a short 
speech,  that  availed  him  nothing.  The  issue  was 
clear,  Senator  Cameron  was  determined  on  forcing 
the  unit  rule,  and  refusing  to  recognize  any  motion 
that  would  interfere  with  the  enforcement  of  that 
rule.  But,  unfortunately  for  him,  the  majority  of 
the  committee  were  opposed  to  him.  A commit- 
tee of  six  was  appointed  to  nominate  a temporary 
chairman,  and  the  committee  adjourned  for  a 
recess. 

During  this  the  determined  purpose  of  the  anti- 
Grant  men  to  depose  Senator  Cameron  was  made 
abundantly  apparent.  They  considered  the  crisis 
reached,  and  when  the  committee  again  assembled 
they  had  determined  to  deprive  Cameron  of  his 
power,  or  exact  from  him  a promise.  This  plan 
was,  however,  abandoned,  Senator  Cameron  re- 
maining obstinate  in  his  position  and  refusing  to 
give  any  promise  that  he  would  not  enforce  the 
rule,  as  the  committee  had  it  in  their  power  to  ap- 
point an  acceptable  chairman.  At  midnight  the 
committee  adjourned,  the  Hon.  George  F.  Floar, 
of  Massachusetts,  was  chosen  temporary  chairman, 
he  being  acceptable  to  the  Grant  men.  ; For  further 
protection,  a resolution  was  adopted  before  ad- 
journment, that  should  Mr.  Cameron  be  unable, 
through  sickness  or  any  other  cause,  to  present 


AMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


371 


fV 

D 


the  name  of  Mr.  Hoar  to  the  convention,  Mr. 
Chandler,  as  chairman  of  the  committee  reporting' 
his  name,  should  do  so. 

The  excitement  over  these  proceedings  ‘ was 
intense,  and  all  night  long  the  heated  partisans 
discussed  Mr.  Cameron’s  extraordinary  ruling  and 
arbitrary  action  as  chairman  of  the  National 
Committee. 

Eighteen  of  Mr.  Cameron’s  own  delegation 
from  Pennsylvania  protested,  and  twenty-two  of 
the  New  York  delegates  made  haste  to  write  out 
and  sign  the  following  paper : 

The  undersigned,  delegates  to  the  Republican  National 
Convention,  representing  our  several  Congressional  districts 
in  the  State  of  New  York,  desiring,  above  all,  the  success  of 
the  Republican  party  at  the  approaching  election,  and  realiz- 
ing the  hazard  attending  an  injudicious  nomination,  declare 
our  purpose  to  resist  the  nomination  of  General  U.  S. 
Grant  by  all  honorable  means.  We  are  sincere  in  the  con- 
viction, that  in  New  York  at  least  his  nomination  would  en- 
sure defeat.  We  have  a great  battle  to  fight,  and  victory  is 
within  our  reach,  but  we  earnestly  protest  against  entering 
the  contest  with  a nomination  which  we  regard  as  unwise  and 
perilous. 


12.  ~\Y.  II.  Robertson, 
26.  W.  B.  Woodin, 

33.  Lorin  B.  Sessions, 
14.  W.  D.  Stivers, 

20.  Webster  Wagner, 
George  West, 

V Albert  Dagget, 

14.  B.  G.  Wales, 

1.  Simeon  Shawkins, 
John  Birdsall, 


22.  John  P.  Douglas, 
Sidney  Sylvester, 
13.  John  B.  Dutchcr, 
19.  Henry  R.  James, 
Wells  S.  Dickson, 
12.  James  W.  Husted, 
2i.  Ferris  Jacobs,  Jr., 
18.  Oliver  Abel, 

33.  N.  M.  Allen. 


371 2 * * * 6 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


The  interest  in  the  situation  grew  deeper  every 
hour,  the  lines  were  sharper  drawn,  the  leaders 
bent  more  stenuously  to  their  wheels,  upon  which  so 
many  of  them  were  destined  to  be  broken.  The 
long  night  of  war  and  words  faded  into  a morn- 
ing that  promised  relief  to  none,  and  victory  to 
some  leader  yet  in  the  shadow  of  obscurity.  The 
early  morning  was  signalized  by  an  open  revolt — ■ 
hitherto  asserted  by  the  anti-Grant  men,  and 
denied  by  their  opponents — in  the  Pennsylvania 
delegation,  headed  by  Mr.  James  McManes. 
Their  protest  was  similar  to  that  of  the  New  York 
delegation,  and  was  signed  by  the  following: 


1.  W.  S.  Douglass, 

2.  W.  R.  Leeds, 

4.  W.  E.  Rowan, 

5.  Hamilton  Disston, 
25.  J.  E.  Long, 

19.  John  Hays, 

12.  Alexander  Farnham, 
15.  O.  D.  Kenney, 

C.  C.  Jadwin, 

6.  W:  B.  Waddell, 

A.  Gartside, 


Harrison  Bortz, 

M.  L Brosius, 

24.  J.  McKinley, 

18.  B.  F.  Wagenseller. 

J.  G.  Isenberg, 

8.  S.  R.  Deppin, 

7.  C.  N.  Taylor, 

11.  W.  A.  W.  Grier, 

S.  Y.  Thompson, 

7.  P.  Wanger  (sub). 


Dclegate-at-large — J ames  Me  Manes. 

10. 


Conkling,  Cameron  and  Logan,  and  their  ad- 
herents, had  now  reached  a deadlock  with  the  op- 
position. The  situation  was  bitter  in  its  intensity, 
and  prodigal  in  stubbornness.  An  attempt  at 
relief  was  made  by  General  Chester  A.  Arthur 
and  ex-Secretary  Gorham,  of  California,  who,  in 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


*7 1 
0/0 

behalf  of  the  Grant  men,  submitted  the  following 
proposition: 

“That  Senator  Hoar  should  be  accepted  as 
temporary'  chairman  of  the  convention,  and  that 
no  attempt  should  be  made  to  enforce  the  unit 
rule,  or  have  a test  vote  in  the  convention,  until 
the  committee  on  credentials  had  reported,  when 
the  unit-rule  question  should  be  decided  by  the 
convention  in  its  own  way.” 

A long  conference  ensued  among-  the  anti- 
Grant  men  to  debate  this  proposition,  and  late  in 
the  afternoon  this  peace  proposition  was  accepted 
by  all  parties,  and  it  was  further  agreed  that  the 
regular  delegates  from  Illinois  and  Louisiana 
should  be  admitted  to  participate  in  the  temporary 
organization,  and  then  take  their  chances  with  the 
committee  on  credentials. 

Amid  the  excitement  and  turmoil  of  these  pre- 
liminary struggles,  the  spectator  will  have  noticed 
one  incident  of  significance — the  bringing  forward 
as  a candidate  for  the  second  honor  on  the  Repub- 
lican ticket  a colored  man — Senator  B.  K.  Bruce, 
of  Mississippi.  He  was  serenaded  by  his  friends 
from  the  Southern  States,  enthusiastic  speeches 
were  made  in  his  favor,  and  his  “ boom  ” assumed 
quite- respectable  proportions.  The  attempt,  how- 
ever, met  with  but  little  encouragement — the  time 
for  a parti-colored  ticket  has  apparently  not  yet 
arrived. 


374 


LILE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OP 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 


THE  BATTLE  BEGUN. 

WEDNESDAY,  June  2d,  dawned  in  Chi 
cago,  amid  an  animation,  a stir,  a 
mighty  something  in  the  air,  only  felt 
upon  great  occasions.  That  morning  the  conven- 
tion met,  and  the  hours  before  noon  were  devoted 
to  a grand  struggle  for  tickets — a struggle  that, 
in  its  brief  intensity,  quite  overshadowed  the 
greater  issue  that  hung  upon  the  burdened  air. 
When  Chicago  bells  chimed  high  noon,  there  were 
not  a thousand  people  in  Exposition  Hall,  and 
they  resembled  scattered  pilgrims  at  a deserted 
shrine.  Not  for  long,  however.  The  crowds 
poured  into  the  building  like  the  whirl  of  autumn 
leaves  before  the  wind,  and  scattered  to  their 
places.  An  hour  later  more  than  ten  thousand 
were  within  the  building,  and  massed  in  every 
inch  of  room. 

By  this  time  the  delegates  were  due,  and  the 
eager  spectators  craned  their  necks  to  catch  a 
glimpse  of  the  early  birds.  One  who  was  there 
thus  describes  the  assembling  of  the  convention : 

“ The  Alabama  delegation  was  first  to  file  in 
as  a body,  and  its  two  rows  of  President-makors 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


375 


nestled  down  in  front  of  the  stage,  displaying 
every  shade-of  complexion,  from  the  pure  white  to 
the  genuine  African.  Arkansas  fell  in  greatly  be- 
hind Alabama,  with  the  familiar  face  of  ex-Senator 
Dorsey  at  the  head.  Meantime  the  places  allotted 
to  the  various  States  were  being  rapidly  filled  up 
by  the  rank  and  file  of  the  delegations.  But  the 
leaders  were  slow  in  getting  to  their  respective 
commands.  The  dignitaries  who  had  been  as- 
signed  to  the  seats  for  distinguished  guests  began 
to  swarm  in,  and  Frye,  of  Maine,  and  Chandler,  of 
New  Hampshire,  buzzed  them  as  they  gathered  in 
little  knots  to  discuss  the  situation.  General 
Beaver,  chairman  of  the  Pennsylvania  delegation, 
swung  himself  along  the  side  aisle  on  his  crutches 
and  sat  down  at  the  post  of  honor  for  his  State, 
with  Quay  close  by  his  side,  and  Cessna  flitted 
hither  and  thither  as  if  uncertain  that  anything 
would  be  well  done  unless  he  gave  it  a helping 
hand.  McManes  dropped  in  late,  a little  paled  by 
illness,  but  with  all  his  Scotch-Irish  doggedness 
written  in  his  face.  Jewell  and  Creswell,  both  of 
the  Grant  Cabinet,  came  in  about  the  same  time, 
the  first  hoping  to  look  down  on  the  defeat  of  his 
old  chief  from  the  gallery  of  distinguished  guests, 
and  the  other  marshaling  his  delegation  to  give 
him  back  his  Old  Commander. 

“ Both  look  fresh  and  rosy  as  they  did  when 
they  hugged  their  portfolios  and  enjoyed  the  hol- 
low homage  that  is  paid  to  honor  at  the  capital 
22 


376 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


The  tall,  sturdy  form  of  ‘Long  John’  Wentworth 
towered  over  all  as  he  joined  his  delegation.  He 
is  stouter,  redder,  grayer  and  balder  than  eight 
years  ago,  when  he  rebelled  against  Grant.  He 
had  returned  to  his  first  love,  and  now  wilts  down 
his  collars  early  in  the  morning  working  and  cheer- 
mg  for  the  Silent  Man. 

“Just  when  the  building  had  pretty  nearly  filled 
up  there  was  a simultaneous  huzza  throughout 
the  hall  and  galleries,  and  it  speedily  broke  out  in 
a hearty  applause.  The  tall  and  now  silvered 
plume  of  Conkling  was  visible  in  the  aisle,  and  he 
strode  down  to  his  place  at  the  head  of  his  delega- 
tion with  the  majesty  of  an  emperor.  He  recog- 
nized the  compliment  by  a modest  bow,  widiout 
lifting  his  eyes  to  the  audience,  and  took  his  seat 
as  serenely  as  if  on  a picnic  and  holiday.  He  has 
aged  rapidly  during  the  last  year,  and  his  once 
golden  locks  are  thinned  and  whitened,  while  hard 
lines  dispel  the  brightness  of  his  finely-chiseled 
face.  The  Grant  men  seemed  to  be  more  com- 
fortable when  they  found  him  by  their  side  and 
evidently  ready  for  the  conflict.  The  sable  Grant 
men  from  the  South,  who  believe  Grant  to  be  their 
political  savior,  look  upon  Conkling  as  his  prophet, 
and  they  worship  him  as  a demigod.  Logan’s 
swarthy  features,  flowing  mustache  and  Indian 
hair  were  next  visible  on  the  eastern  aisle,  but  he 
stepped  to  the  head  of  his  delegation  so  quietly 
that  he  escaped  a special  welcome.  He  sat  as  if 
i 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


377 


in  sober  reflection  for  a few  moments,  and  then 
hastened  over  to  Colliding  to  perfect  their  counsel 
on  the  eve  of  battle.  The  two  senatorial  leaders 
held  close  conference  until  the  bustle  about  the 
chair  gave  notice  that  the  opposing  lines  were 
about  to  bedn  to  feel  each  other  and  test  their 

o 

position. 

“ Cameron  had  just  stepped  upon  the  platform 
with  the  elasticity  of  a boy,  and  his  youthful  but 
strongly-marked  face  was  recognized  at  once. 
There  was  no  applause.  They  all  knew  that  he 
never  plays  for  the  galleries,  and  that  cheers  are 
wasted  upon  him.  The  man  who  can  bring  him 
votes  when  he  is  in  want  of  them,  can  make  his 
cold  gray  eyes  kindle  and  his  usually  stolid 
features  toy  with  a smile,  but  no  man  in  the  land 
more  justly  estimates  the  crowd  that  ever  cheers 
the  coming  guest  than  does  Cameron.  He  quiet 
ly  sat  down  for  ten  minutes,  although  the  time  for 
calling  the  convention  to  order  had  passed  by  an 
hour,  and  he  looked  out  upon  the  body  so  big 
with  destiny  for  himself  and  his  Grant  associates. 
As  he  passed  by  he  was  asked:  ‘What  of  the 
battle?’  To  which  he  answered:  ‘We  have 
three  hundred  to  start  With,  and  we  will  stick 
until  we  win.’ 

“ It  was  said  with  all  the  determination  that  his 
positive  manner  and  expression  could  add  to  lan- 
guage, and  it  summed  up  his  whole  strategy. 
While  he  waited  the  vacant  places  were  fast 


37§ 


RIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


filling  up.  Generals  Sewell  and  Kilpatrick  took 
their  posts  at  the  head  of  the  New  Jersey  men, 
and  just  behind  them  the  rosy  faces  of  Garfield 
and  Foster,  and  the  tall,  spare  form  of  Dennison 
were  holding  a hasty  last  council  of  the  Sherman 
wing  of  the  opposition.  The  youthful,  olive- 
shaded  features  of  Bruce,  of  Mississippi,  were 
visible  in  the  centre  of  his  delegation,  and  the 
dream  of  the  Vice-Presidency  made  him  restless 
and  anxious. 

“At  five  minutes  after  one  Cameron  quickly  rose 
from  his  chair,  advanced  to  the  front,  and  brought 
his  gavel  down  gently  upon  the  speaker’s  desk. 
At  once  the  confused  hum  of  voices  began  to  still 
and  the  nearly  ten  thousand  people  present  set- 
tled into  perfect  order.  Cameron  stood  for  half 
a minute  after  silence  had  been  obtained,  appar- 
ently free  from  all  embarrassment,  and  finally  said, 
in  a clear  voice : 

“ ‘The  convention  will  come  to  order,  and  will  be 
opened  with  prayer.’  ” 

After  the  last  words  had  fallen  from  the  lips  of 
the  clergyman  and  a moment  more  had  been 
spent  in  silence,  Senator  Cameron  rose  and  said : 

“Gentlemen  of  the  Convention:  Before  the 
convention  enters  upon  the  important  duties  that 
have  called  it  together,  I ask  your  attention  for  a 
single  moment.  During  the  canvass  just  ended 
there  has  been  manifested  in  many  sections  of  the 
country  considerable  bitterness, _ which,  I trust, 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


379 


will  entirely  disappear  before  entering  upon  the 
grave  duties  devolving  upon  us.  Let  there  be 
but  one  motive  governing  our  action  and  let  that 
be  a determination  to  place  in  nomination  the 
strongest  possible  candidates — men  strong  in 
themselves,  strong  in  the  confidence  and  affec- 
tions of  the  people,  and  men  who  will  command 
the  respect  of  the  civilized  world.  Our  country, 
of  wThich  we:  are  justly  proud,  has  grown  so 
rapidly  in  population,  wealth  and  influence  during 
the  existence  of  the  Republican  party  that 
we  have  attained  a position  as  one  of  the 
leading-  oowers  of  the  world.  We  cannot  longer 
be  satisfied  with  our  isolation.  Recognizing-  the 
changed  condition,  we  must  place  in  position  men 
whose  familiarity  with  other  nations  will  enable 
them  to  direct  our  affairs  so  that  we  will  take  the 
lead  in  commerce  as  we  have  in  agriculture  and 

o 

manufactures.  Do  not  for  a moment  doubt  the 
strength  of  our  institutions.  Thev  have  been 
tried  in  blood  and  came  from  the  contest  better, 
stronger  and  purer  than  the  most  ardent  patriot 
dared  to  hope.  No  combination  of  circumstances, 
no  coterie  of  individuals,  no  personal  ambition  can 
ever  prevail  against  the  intelligence  and  inborn 
love  of  liberty  which  are  implanted  in  the  hearts 
of  Americans.  When  the  nominations  are  made 
and  the  convention  has  completed  its  work,  let 
there  be  but  one  sentiment  animating  ml  earnest, 
sincere  and  unselfish  Republicans,  and  let  that  be 


380 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


that  each  shall  vie  with  the  other  in  carrying’  our 
grand  old  party  through  the  coming  contest  to 
victory.” 

Senator  Cameron  then  presented  the  name  of 
Senator  George  F.  Hoar  as  temporary  chairman. 
Applause  greeted  the  announcement,  which  was  a 
distinct  defeat  of  the  senator  who  announced  it. 
No  objection  was  raised,  and  Senator  Hoar  came 
upon  the  platform,  escorted  by  ex-Governor  Davis, 
of  Texas,  Congressman  Frye,  of  Maine,  and  Reve- 
nue Commissioner  Raum,  of  Illinois. 

The  chairman  ' immediately  delivered  the  cus- 
tomary speech,  in  which  he  grandly  arraigned  the 
Democratic  party  for  its  sins  of  omission  and  com- 
mission. It  confronted  the  Republican  party  to- 
day, unchanged  in  purpose,  in  temper,  or  in  char- 
acter, and  united  in  nothing  else,  proposing  no 
other  measure  of  policy  than  war  upon  the  safe- 
guards which  the  nation  had  thrown  around  the 
purity  of  elections.  Then  he  continued: 

“The  Democratic  party  sees  nothing  of  evil, 
except  that  a free  man  shall  cast  a free  vote  under 
the  protection  of  the  nation.  In  Louisiana  and 
Mississippi  the  Democratic  party  is  the  accomplice 
of  the  White  League  and  the  Ku-Klux.  In  South 
Carolina  it  took  the  honest  ballots  from  the  box 
and  stuffed  tissue  ballots  in  their  places.  In  New 
York  it  issued  fraudulent  naturalization  papers, 
sixty  thousand  in  number.  In  Maine  its  ambitious 
larceny  tried  to  pilfer  a whole  State,  and  in  Dela- 


JAMES  A.  GARFIEI 


38  t 

ware  it  stood  accomplice  by  the  whipping-post. 
The  Republican  party  has  no  such  miserable  his- 
tory. It  speaks  of  rebellion  subdued,  slaves 
freed,  of  great  public  works  constructed,  of  debt 
diminished,  of  sound  currency  restored,  of  a flag 
floating  long  and  everywhere  honored  and  re- 
spected. The  key-note  of  every  Republican  plat- 
form, the  principle  of  every  Republican  union,  is 
found  in  respect  for  the  dignity  of  the  individual 
man.  Until  that  becomes  the  pervading  principle 
of  the  Republic,  from  Canada  to  the  Gulf,  from 
the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific,  the  Republican  mission 
is  not  ended ; the  Republican  party  lives  by  faith 
that  every  man  within  the  borders  of  the  Repub- 
lic may  dwell  secure  in  a happy  home,  may  cast 
his  equal  vote  and  have  it  counted,  and  may  send 
his  children  at  the  puplic  charge  to  a free  school. 
Until  these  things  come  to  pass,  the  mission  of 
the  Republican  party  is  not  ended,  nor  its  conflict 
with  its  ancient  adversary  ended.” 

Applause  followed.  When  it  had  ceased, 
Messrs.  J.  H.  Roberts,  of  Illinois,  and  Christopher 
Magee,  of  Pittsburg,  were  elected  secretaries. 

Eugene  Hale  then  got  up  from  the  midst  of  the 
Maine  delegation  and  moved  for  a call  of  the 
States  and  the  naming  of  the  several  members  of 
the  committees  on  permanent  organization,  reso- 
lutions, rules  and  credentials.  This  completed, 
Congressman  Frye,  of  Maine,  from  the  platform, 
desired  that  Utah  should  be  represented  upon  the 


382 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


credentials  committee,  and  so  moved,  as  it  had 
been  left  off. 

Upon  this  Senator  Conkling  took  the  floor,  and 
in  the  midst  of  applause  indicated  with  a flourish 
(that  if  the  fight  had  opened  he  was  ready  for  it. 
He  objected  to  Utah,  as  he  understood  it  was  a 
part  of  the  agreement  for  the  preliminary  organi- 
zation that  it  should  not  be  called.  He  made  a 
point  of  order  against  it,  and  when  that  was  over- 
ruled he  asked  if  it  would  be  in  order  to  put  in 
Louisiana. 

Mr.  Frye  here  interrupted,  explaining  that  he 
had  the  authority  of  the  secretary  of  the  National 
Committee  for  saying  that  Utah  had  been  left  off 
by  mistake  ; and  he  did  not  suppose  a Republican 
convention  would  refuse  to  correct  a mistake. 
Utah  thereupon  secured  its  representation. 

The  roll  of  States  was  called  for  notices  of 
contests,  of  which  there  were  a good  many,  and  an 
adjournment  until  Thursday  morning  at  eleven 
was  carried  on  motion  of  Senator  Conklinm 

O 

The  adjournment  was  necessary  in  order  to 
give  the  various  committees  an  opportunity  to  get 
to  work  and  complete  their  reports.  The  com- 


miitees — now 
follows: 

historical — were 

composed 

States. 

Permanent  Organization. 

Rules  and  Business. 

Alabama 

....Benjamin  T.  Turner 

. . J.  II.  Thomasson. 

Arkansas  

. ...0.  P.  Snyder 

...J.  II.  Johnson. 

California 

John  Mansfield 

. ..E.  A.  Davis. 

Colorado 

.....John  A Ellet 

...M.  N.  Negroeve. 

JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


383 


States. 

Permanent  Organization. 

Rules  and  Business. 

Connecticut  

John  M.  Douglas 

Daniel  Chadwick. 

Delaware 

Christian  Febiger 

Benjamin  Burton. 

Florida 

....B.  J.  Shipman 

Georgia 

Illinois 

....Richard  Whiting 

Indiana 

...J.  J.  Todd 

Iowa 

John  W.  Sharp 

....S.  M.  Clark. 

Kansas 

S.  S.  Benedict 

K entucky 

W.  G.  Ilunton. 

Louisiana 

Contest 

Maine 

Maryland 

Jacob  J.  Weaver,  Jr. 

Massachusetts 

William  B.  Hopkins 

Michigan 

J.  II.  Chandler. 

Minnesota 

E.  F.  Drake. 

Mississippi 

Missouri 

Luther  C.  Slavens 

Nebraska 

V.  L.  Bierbower 

J.  L.  Mitchell. 

Nevada 

W.  W.  Bishop. 

New  Hampshire 

...,S.  W.  Hale 

New  Jersey 

James  Gopsill 

New  York 

North  Carolina 

0.  IL  Blocker. 

Ohio 

Alphonso  Hart 

Oregon 

D.  C.  Ireland. 

Pennsylvania 

Rhode  Island 

....Almon  R.  Goodwin  ... 

South  Carolina 

Tennessee 

....W.  E.  Cate 

J.  M.  Cordell. 

Texas 

,...W.  II.  Hokes 

Vermont 

Henry  C.  Belden 

John  B.  Mead. 

Virginia 

II.  Clay  Harris 

W.  R.  Watkins. 

West  Virginia 

....J.  H.  Riley 

Wisconsin . .. 

A.  J.  Turner. 

Arizona 

None 

Dakota 

District  of  Columbia.. 

....None 

Idaho 

Montana 

New  Mexico 

Utah 

3§4 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


States. 

Permanent  Organization. 

Rules  and  Business. 

Washington 

Wyoming 

W.  A.  Carter 

States. 

Credentials. 

Resolutions. 

Alabama 

...Wm.  Youngblood. 

Arkansas 

...H.  S.  Holland. 

California 

Creed  Haymond 

...D.  S.  Payne. 

Colorado 

....Amos  Stack. 

Connecticut 

, ...FI.  C.  Robinson. 

Delaware 

James  R.  Lolland 

...Levi  G.  Clark. 

Florida 

, ...F.  C.  Humphries. 

Georgia 

...A.  E.  Buck. 

Illinois 

....E.  A.  Storrs. 

Indiana 

Iowa 

Kansas 

....R.  R.  W.  Perkins. 

Kentucky 

....A.  T.  Wood. 

Louisiana 

Contest. 

Maine 

Maryland 

J.  Morrison  Harris. 

Massachusetts 

Charles  R.  Codman 

James  M.  Barker. 

Michigan 

....George  A.  Farr. 

Minnesota 

E.  M.  Sabin 

Mississippi 

F.  M.  Libbey 

.....Charles  W.  Clark. 

Missouri 

Harrison  E.  Haven 

. ,.R.  T.  Van  Horne. 

Nebraska 

N.  W.  Passenger 

J.  W.  Dawes. 

Nevada 

T.  D.  Edwards. 

New  Hampshire.... 

Wm.  E.  Chandler 

Charles  Holman. 

New  Jersey 

Chellian  Robbins 

William  W.  Phelps. 

New  York 

Edwards  Pierrepont. 

North  Carolina 

James  A.  Harris. 

Ohio 

Warren  M.  Bateman..,. 

Rodney  M.  Stimson. 

Oregon 

John  FI.  Mitchell 

II.  W.  Scott. 

Pennsylvania 

John  Cessna 

W.  B.  Rogers. 

Rhode  Island 

John  P.  Sanborn 

Charles  II.  Handley. 

South  Carolina 

William  N.  Taft 

..  ..D.  D.  McCall. 

Tennessee 

J.  M.  Thornburg 

....Horace  II.  Harrison. 

Texas 

Webster  Flannagan  ... 

J.  G.  Tracy. 

Vermont 

John  W.  Stewart 

..  George  G.  Benedict. 

Virginia 

C.  C.  Tompkins 

....James  D.  Brady. 

West  Virginia 

J.  M.  Hagan 

C.  D.  Hubbard. 

JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


385 


States.  Credentials. 

Wisconsin Ed.  Sanderson...'.. 

Arizona. R.  C.  McCormick 

Dakota Porter  Warner 

District  of  Columbia Sayles  J.  Bowen  .. 

Idaho George  L.  Shoup.. 

Montana Henry  M.  Blake  .. 

New  Mexico William  Breeden., 

. Utah None 

Washington T.  L.  Minor 

Wyoming W.  A.  Carter 


Resolutions. 
.Joseph  V.  Quarles. 

.J.  S.  Yosburg. 

,C.  T.  McCoy. 

.John  F.  Cook. 

.Jones  W.  Brown. 
.Robert  E.  Fisk. 
.William  L.  Ryneson. 
Presley  Denney. 
.Thomas  H.  Brents. 

. W.  A.  Carter. 


386 


LIFE  AXE  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 


THE  SECOND  DAY’S  FIGHTING. 

EXPOSITION  HALL,  as  the  convention 
began  assembling  on  Thursday  morning, 
presented  much  the  same  appearance  that 
it  did  the  day  before.  The  attendance  was,  how- 
ever, much  larger,  and  the  anti-third-term  people 
had  made  arrangements  during  the  previous 
evening  to  secure  a greater  representation  in  the 
spectators’  seats,  and  a better  location  for  their 
sympathizers. 

The  delegates,  as  the  hour  of  eleven  approached, 
straggled  slowly  in.  Many  of  them  came  fatigued 
from  committee  work,  and  other  matters  not  offi- 
cial but  incidental  to  a gathering  of  the  kind.  By 
the  hour  for  assembling,  every  seat  was  occupied 
in  the  galleries,  and  the  floor  was  unusually  ani- 
mated. There  was  a great  deal  of  running  round 
among  the  delegates  and  their  friends,  but  the 
only  outburst  before  the  call  to  order  was  on  the 
first  day,  when  Conkling  came  down  the  aisle  at  a 
a quarter  to  twelve.  He  was  euthusiastically 
cheered,  and  moved  slowly  to  his  seat,  his  tall 
figure  rising  above  those  who  stood  aside  to  let 
him  pass.  He  was  the  lion  of  the  hour  and  the 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 

chief  curiosity  of  the  multitude  was  always  to  see 
the  silver-bearded  senator  from  New  York. 

It  was  within  a few  minutes  of  high  noon,  when 
Senator  Hoar  brought  down  his  gavel  upon  his 
bouquet-embellished  desk.  A momentary  confu- 
sion was  caused  in  the  removal  of  outsiders,  who 
crowded  into  every  possible  place.  All  knew 
that  the  Committee  on  Credentials,  which  had  in 
hand  the  important  preliminary  work  of  the  con- 
vention, would  not  be  ready  to  report  for  several 
hours.  Consequently,  as  soon  as  the  prayer  was 
concluded,  Senator  Conkling  moved  that  a recess 
be  taken  until  six  o’clock.  This  motion  was  re- 
garded as  an  indication  that  he  was  not  altogether 
prepared  for  any  test  vote,  but  the  fact  was  it  was 
impossible  to  reach  a test  vote  until  it  came  to 
the  report  of  the  Committee  on  Credentials. 
Eugene  Hale,  however,  backed  by  the  cheers  of 
the  gallery,  antagonized  the  motion  for  a recess, 
and  supported  his  wish  with  the  precedent  that 
four  years  before  the  convention  had  effected  the 
permanent  organization  while  waiting  the  report 
on  contested  seats. 

Senator  Conkling  dropped  into  the  sarcastic  in 
his  reply,  congratulated  the  convention  that  it  had 
heard  a speech  from  the  gentleman  from  Maine, 
and  managed  to  sneer  at  New  England  as  a sec- 

o o 

tion  chiefly  peopled  by  orators. 

Mr.  Hale  returned  to  the  charge,  and  made 
great  point,  that  in  Congress  business  did  not  wait 


388 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


for  the  settlement  of  contests.  For  this  Mr.  Hale 
was  rewarded  by  a wild  burst  of  applause.  The 
crowds  were  ready  and  delighted  to  cheer,  and 
when  Hale  went  on  to  say  that  if  he  appeared  in 
better  humor  that  morning  than  the  gentleman 
from  New  York,  the  great  audience  understood 
the  reason  why.  The  applause  passed  beyond  all 
bounds.  It  became  a gale  of  hurrahs. 

Mr.  Conkling  did  not  attempt  a reply  to  this 
and  a vote  beingf  secured  on  his  motion  for  a re- 
cess,  it  was  lost.  For  several  minutes  after  this  it 
was  not  quite  certain  what  would  be  the  next  step. 
Then  Joy,  of  Michigan,  sent  up  a resolution,  to  the 
effect  that  the  contestants  from  Illinois  should  be 
allowed  to  be  heard  before  the  convention  by  such 
counsel  as  they  should  select.  This  raised  quite 
a storm,  and  a motion  to  lay  it  on  the  table  was 
made.  This  was  submitted  to  a viva  voce  vote, 
and  declared  lost.  A roll-call  was  ordered  to  sat- 
isfy the  demands  of  some  rash  delegates,  but  this 
was  not  acceptable  to  either  side.  Joy’s  motion 
was  then  withdrawn  at  the  request  of  Eugene 
Hale. 

Later,  General  Sewell,  of  New  Jersey,  intro* 
duced  a motion  that  the  Committee  on  Permanent 
Organization  be  instructed  to  bring  in  its  report. 
This  was  adopted.  The  report  continued  Senator 
Hoar  as  permanent  president,  andi  provided  a 
vice-president  and  secretary  from  each  State. 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD.  389 

After  the  report  was  read  and  corrected,  Senator 
Hoar  said : 

“ Gentlemen  of  the  Convention  : Y ou  have 
manifested  in  the  choice  you  have  made  for  per- 
manent presiding  officer  a disposition  to  a wise 
economy  in  the  matter  of  opening  speeches. 
[Laughter.]  One  good  reason  occurs  to  me  for 
the  selection  which  you  have  made,  and  that  is, 
that  having  heard  one  speech  from  me,  you  have, 
for  reasons  entirely  satisfactory  to  each  delegate, 
no  inclination  to  hear  another  opening  soeech.” 
[Laughter  and  applause.] 

The  men  from  Maine  were  still  anxious  to  go 
on  with  business,  and  Frye  put  a motion  that  the 
Committee  on  Rules  be  requested  to  report. 
This  brought  General  Sharpe  to  his  feet — the 
New  York  member  of  the  committee — who  said 
he  had  been  instructed  to  prepare  a minority  re- 
port, and  as  the  committee  was  in  session  until 
within  a few  minutes  of  the  assembling  of  the 
convention,  he  had  no  time  to  do  so.  He  also 
announced  it  was  understood  that  a report  would 
not  be  made  until  the  Committee  on  Credentials 
had  presented  their  report.  The  chairman  of  the 
Committee  on  Rules  was  then  called  upon  by  Mr. 
Frye. 

The  chairman  was  General  Garfield.  As  he 
mounted  a chair  to  have  a better  opportunity,  he 
was  greeted  with  the  most  enthusiastic  applause 
jet  heard  in  the  convention.  It  was  a magnificent, 


390 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


spontaneous  tribute  to  his  worth  and  universally- 
recognized  public  services.  General  Garfield  said 
the  statement  of  the  gentleman  from  New  York 
was  true.  This  satisfied  everybody.  Frye  with- 
drew his  motion  to  propose  a recess  until  five  P.  M. 

Senator  Conkling  was  immediately  on  his  feet 
to  congratulate  his  friends  from  Maine  that  so 
much  had  been  accomplished.  It  was  a matter  to 
stir  the  heart  of  every  patriot  to  find  the  conven- 
tion, in  its  organized  state,  rising  in  its  might,  on 
being  able  to  accomplish  the  momentous,  the  criti- 
cal, the  portentous  business  that  had  been  accom- 
plished since  his  (Conkling’s)  motion  to  adjourn 
had  been  made.  Mr.  Frye  returned  the  challenge, 
and  drew  wild  cheering  from  the  galleries  by  ex- 
pressing his  thanks  to  the  distinguished  gentleman 
from  New  York,  who,  he  hoped,  would  be  as  will- 
ing and  as  ready  to  congratulate  Maine  at  the 
conclusion  of  the  convention. 

There  was  no  reply  to  make  to  this  clever  sally 
of  the  man  from  Maine,  and  the  motion  for  a re- 
cess was  adopted  without  dissent.  The  conven- 
tion stood  adjourned  until  five  P.  M. 

It  was  half-past  that  hour,  however,  before  the 
convention  came  to  order  again.  The  galleries 
were  packed  as  before  with  interested  spectators. 
As  soon  as  the  convention  was  ready  for  business, 
Mr.  Henderson,  of  Iowa,  announced  that  the  Com- 
mittee on  Credentials  would  not  be  ready  to  re- 
port at  that  session,  and  moved  that  the  Committee 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


391 


on  Rules  be  requested  to  report,  so  that  the  con- 
vention could  proceed  to  business.  This  again 
precipitated  a clash  between  the  opposing  fac- 
tions. . Senator  Logan  said  the  committee  had 
agreed  to  defer  their  report  on  rules  and  order  of 
business  until  after  the  action  on  contested  seats. 
(This,  as  it  will  be  remembered  by  the  reader,  was 
for  the  purpose  of  delaying  everything  decisive 
until  such  time  as  all  the  delegates  were  in  the 
hall,  the  Grant  men  hoping  to  gain  by  the  action 
of  the  credentials  committee).  If  the  convention 
desired  victory  for  its  work,  it  ought  not  to  raise 
too  hastily  the  axe  to  the  heads  of  their  brethren. 
The  rules  ought  not  to  be  adopted  before  they 
knew  who  were  entitled  to  seats  as  representa- 
tives in  the  body,  especially  as  one  of  the  rules  to 
be  reported  would  limit  the  speakers  to  five  min- 
utes each.  Let  the  compact  be  kept  that  was 
agreed  to  by  members  of  the  committee,  and  let 
the  consideration  of  the  rules  be  deferred  until  the 
report  of  the  Committee  on  Credentials  was  made. 
He  urged  the  withdrawal  of  the  motion.  [Cries 
of  “No.”]  Some  gentlemen,  he  said,  cried  “no.” 
Was  it  because  they  were  determined  not  to  stand 
by  the  agreement  of  the  committee  ? Did  they 
desire  to  ride  rough-shod  over  members  ? 

The  Associated  Press  report  of  this  debate, 
which  led  to  the  first  test  vote  between  the  Grant 
and  anti-Grant  men,  continues  it  from  this  point, 
as  follows: 

23 


392 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


“ Mr.  Henderson  replied  that  he  was  glad  to 
learn  the  sentiments  of  the  distinguished  gentle- 
man from  Illinois.  They  would  gratify  the  whole 
country.  From  no  gentleman  was  he  more  glad 
to  hear  than  from  him  that  there  must  be  no  rougfh 
riding  over  this  convention.  [Tumultuous  ap- 
plause.] He  was  glad  to  see  the  contending 
columns  here  coming  together  in  the  field  of  fair 
play.  [Applause.]  The  gentleman  asked  why 
this  haste?  He,  on  the  contrary,  asked,  why  this 
delay?  [Applause.]  The  chairman  of  the  Com- 
mittee on  Rules  indicated  here  this  morningf 
that  there  was  no  compact  made  in  said  commit- 
tee, such  as  Mr.  Logan  had  asserted.  On  the 
contrary,  he  said  he  was  ready  to  report,  but  the 
convention,  by  general  concurrence,  took  a recess 
to  give  a minority  of  the  committee  the  time  he 
asked  to  prepare  a minority  report.  But  now  the 
convention  was  organized  and  ready  for  work,  and 
he  must  insist  on  his  motion  to  proceed  to  busi- 
ness. In  conclusion  he  stated,  on  authority  of  a 
Kentucky  member  of  the  committee,  who  signed 
the  minority  report,  that  it  was  in  fact  ready  for 
being  reported  this  morning. 

“Mr.  Boutwell,  of  Massachusetts,  inquired  of  the 
chairman  of  the  Committee  on  Rules  whether  it  was 
true  that  they  would  recommend  the  adoption  of  the 
five-minute  rule  in  the  debate  on  contested  seats. 

“The  Kentucky  member  of  the  committee  arose, 
and  announced  as  a misrepresentation  Mr.  Hen- 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


393! 

derson’s  statement  that  the  'minority  report  was 
ready  this  morning. 

“Another  committeeman,  rising,  shouted  excit 
edly  that  Mr.  Henderson’s  statement  was  accurate 
and  true.  [Applause  and  excitement.] 

“Mr.  Boutwell,  resuming,  said  that  he  would 
vote  against  the  pending  motion  if  the  five-minute 
rule  was  to  be  applied  to  arguments  on  the  ques- 
tion of  contested  seats. 

“Mr.  Harrison  said,  though  he  differed  with  Mr. 
Logan  on  most  of  the  questions,  here  he  was  with 
him  in  opposition  to  the  five-minute  rule  in  the 
discussion  of  the  title  of  representatives  to  their 
seats  [applause],  but  he  was  not  in  favor  of  in- 
definite and  unreasonable  and  endless  debate  to 
tire  everybody  out.  Even  in  that  issue  there 
ought  to  be  some  agreement  on  this  point  which 
would  be  fair  and  just  to  all  parties. 

“Mr.  Henderson,  of  Iowa,  said  the  arguments 
presented  against  the  five-minute  rule  would  be 
all  right  and  proper  and  fair  for  consideration  after 
the  report  was  made.  It  would  then  be  subject 
to  discussion  and  amendment.  He  and  his  asso- 
ciates had  no  desire  to  take  unfair  advantage  of 

o 

any  one,  but  he  wanted  the  business  to  proceed, 
and  the  way  to  do  these  things  was  to  receive  the 
report  and  act  upon  it. 

“Mr.  Clarke,  of  Iowa,  said  at  the  proper  time 
he  would  himself  move  to  except  the  credentials 
discussion  from  the  five-minute  limitation,  and 


394 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


pledging  the  entire  Iowa  delegation  to  support  it. 
[Applause.] 

“Mr.  Sharpe,  of  New  York,  said  his  minority 
report  was  now  ready,  and  it  was  signed  by  rep- 
resentatives of  nine  States,  whose  vote  was  neces- 
sary to  the  success  of  the  Republican  party  if  in 
the  comings  contest  it  was  to  succeed.  The  com- 
mittee  had  agreed  to  postpone  the  enforcement 
of  the  five-minute  rule  until  the  composition  of  the 
convention  was  decided.  If  that  agreement  was 
not  unanimous,  it  had  been  at  all  events  reached 
without  a dissenting  voice.  He  now  moved  to 
amend  the  motion  by  ordering  the  Committee  on 
Credentials  to  make  its  report. 

“Mr.  Garfield,  of  Ohio,  who  was  received  with 
a storm  of  applause,  said  that  there  was  no  ground 
for  any  charge  of  bad  faith  by  anybody  in  the 
Committee  on  Rules.  He  did  not  understand 
that  any  such  charge  was  made.  The  fact  was 
that  the  committee  agreed  that  they  would  not,  of 
their  own  motion,  present  their  report  until  after 
the  Committee  on  Contested  Seats  had  reported ; 
but  whenever  the  convention  chose  to  order  the 
report  from  his  committee,  the  latter  had  no  other 
duty  but  to  obey.  He  said,  also,  that  the  pro- 
posed rules  were  so  drawn  as  to  leave  to  the  con- 
vention the  power  to  extend  any  speaker’s  time 
beyond  five  minutes  whenever  it  should  so  choose, 
even  though  the  general  limitation  of  each  of  the 
speakers  should  be  fixed  at  five  minutes. 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD . 


395 


“Mr.  Conkling  said  that  some  hours  ago  the 
convention  had  adjourned  until  five  o’clock,  for  the 
purpose  of  giving  the  Committee  on  Credentials 
time  to  report.  The  meaning  of  the  recess  was, 
that  \then  the  convention  came  together  again  the 
Committee  on  Credentials  would  make  its  report. 
He  had  been  told  by  members  of  that  committee 
that  they  were  ready  to  report — not  on  one  or  two 
or  three  cases,  but  nearly  every  case  referred  to 
it.  Why  should  not  that  committee  make  such 
report  as  it  was  ready  to  make,  and  let  the  con- 
vention pass  upon  it?  He  submitted  that  the 
good  faith  and  good  understanding  of  all  con- 
cerned would  be  promoted  and  observed  by  pro- 
ceeding now  to  consider  that  report  of  the  Com- 
mittee on  Contested  Seats. 

“Mr.  Henderson,  of  Iowa,  replied  that  a good 
reason  why  the  amendment  should  not  prevail  was 
the  fact,  that  while  the  Committee  on  Rules  had 
finished  its  work  and  was  ready  to  report,  the 
Committee  on  Credentials  had  not  completed  their 
work,  and  would  probably  not  do  so  before  to- 
morrow morning,  and  until  then  could  not  be  here 
themselves  to  explain  and  sustain  their  own  action. 

“The  chair  stated  that  the  question  was  first 
upon  Mr.  Sharpe’s  motion  to  amend  so  as  to  in- 
struct the  Committee  on  Contested  Seats  to 
report. 

“Mr.  Sharpe  asked  that  the  question  be  taken 
by  yeas  and  nays,  and  the  chair,  exercising  his 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


396 

own  discretion  in  the  absence  of  any  adopted  rules, 
so  ordered.” 

The  roll  was  then  called  and  Alabama  led  off 
with  19  yeas.  When  this  vote  was  announced  a 
delegate  from  that  State  rose  and  said  he  wished 
to  vote  in  the  negative. 

o 

Senator  Hoar:  “If  the  gentleman  wishes  to 
vote  ‘no’  his  vote  will  be  received  and  recorded  ” 

At  this  announcement,  which  was  an  out-spoken, 
manly  declaration  against  the  obnoxious  unit  rule 
and  one  of  the  best  principles  of  political  faith  that 
the  Republican  party  ever  affirmed — the  absolute 
inviolability  of  every  man’s  share  in  the  govern- 
ment of  the  governed — the  convention  sent  up  a 
great  shout  led  by  the  galleries.  This  was  ap- 
plause worth  listening  to,  the  echo  of  which  went 
through  every  State  with  the  rapidity  of  great  and 
good  news. 

Alabama  was  therefore  recorded  “Yeas  18, 
Noes  1,”  and  the  vote  was  continued  thus: 

Arkansas — Yeas,  12;  California — Noes,  12;  Col- 
orado— Yeas,  6;  Connecticut — Noes  12;  Dela- 
ware— Noes,  6;  Florida — Yeas,  6;  Georgia — 
Yeas,  6;  Noes,  16;  Illinois — Yeas,  42;  Indiana — 
Yeas,  6;  Noes,  23;  Iowa — Noes,  22;  Kansas — 
Noes,  10.  Kentucky  announced  24  yeas. 

A Kentucky  delegate  arose  and  said  there  were 
delegates  from  that  State  who  desired  to  vote  no. 
There  were  four  stalwarts  who  desired  their  votes 
recorded  “no.”  [Applause  and  hisses.] 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


397 


Because  of  the  delegates’  excited  and  boisterous 
manner  the  chair  ruled  that  all  debate  on  any- 
thing else  than  correction  of  the  vote  be  outof  order. 

The  chairman  of  the  Kentucky  delegation  here 
rose  and  said  he  would  then  give  the  names  of 
the  four,  but  just  then  Senator  Conkling  went  up 
to  him  and  said  a word,  which  led  him  to  forego 
his  purpose  and  take  his  seat.  Then  the  four 
Kentucky  dissenters  stood  upon  their  chairs  in  the 
presence  of  the  convention  amid  great  applause. 
The  vote  of  Kentucky  was  then  recorded  as  20 
ayes  and  4 noes.  Maine,  14  noes ; Maryland  7 
ayes,  8 noes ; Massachusetts,  7 ayes,  1 7 noes ; 
Michigan,  1 aye,  20  noes  ; Minnesota,  3 ayes,  6 
noes ; Mississippi,  8 ayes,  7 noes ; Missouri,  29 
ayes,  1 no;  Nebraska,  6 noes;  Nevada,  6 noes; 
New  Hampshire,  10  noes;  New  Jersey,  18  noes; 
New  York — Mr.  Conkling,  by  instructions  of  his 
delegation,  cast  47  ayes,  23  noes  ; North  Carolina, 

5 ayes,  15  noes;  Ohio,  3 ayes,  41  noes;  Oregon 

6 noes;  Pennsylvania,  29  ayes,  23  noes,  Rhode 
Island,  8 noes ; South  Carolina,  7 ayes,  5 noes ; 
Tennessee,  1 5 ayes,  7 noes  ; Texas,  9 ayes,  7 noes  ; 
Vermont,  10  ayes;  Virginia,  11  ayes,  8 noes; 
West  Virginia,  10  noes;  Wisconsin,  2 ayes,  18 
noes ; Arizona,  2 noes ; Dakota,  1 aye,  1 no ; Dis- 
trict of  Columbia,  2 ayes ; Idaho,  2 noes ; Mon- 
tana, 2 noes  ; New  Mexico,  2 noes  ; Utah,  2 noes  ; 
Washington,  2 noes;  Wyoming,  2 noes.  Total — 
Ayes,  316;  noes,  407. 


398 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CABLED  OF 


Pennsylvania  asked  to  cast  two  additional  votes 
aye  of  delegates  who  had  just  arrived.  This  gave 
Pennsylvania  31  ayes  to  23  noes.  Michigan  cor- 
rected its  votes  to  1 aye,  and  2 1 noes. 

Thus  corrected,  the  chair  announced  the  result 
— yeas,  316;  nays,  406.  Mr.  Sharpe’s  amend- 
ment was  rejected. 

The  result,  an  unquestioned  and  overwhelming- 
defeat  for  the  Grant  forces,  was  received  with 
tumultuous  applause  in  the  galleries  and  not  a 
little  pleasure  among  the  406  victors  on  the  floor. 
For  it  showed  just  exactly  how  much  Grant  could 
get  on  any  one  ballot  and  demonstrated  beyond 
peradventure  that  if  the  opponents  of  the  third- 
term  stood  together  they  could  at  any  time  defeat 
their  enemies. 

The  question  now  recurring  upon  the  original 
motion,  Mr.  Brandagee,  of  Connecticut,  got  up 
and  said  he  *did  so  in  the  interest  of  order, 
harmony  and  peace.  He  had  voted  against  the 
amendment  just  rejected,  but  he  thought  there 
was  a fair  understanding  in  the  Committee  on 
Rules,  that  their  report  should  not  be  made  until 
after  that  of  the  Committee  on  Credentials.  He 
moved  to  lay  on  the  table  the  pending  motion  in- 
structing the  latter  committee  to  report,  with  a 
view  to  adjourning.  This  was  agreed  to,  and  on 
motion  of  Mr.  Metcalf,  of  Illinois,  the  convention 
adjourned  until  the  next  day — June  4th — at  ten 
o’clock,  A.  M. 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD . 


399 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 


WAR  TO  THE  KNIFE,  AND  KNIFE  TO  THE  HILT. 

jT  T was  readily  seen  by  this  time  that  the  fight 
I Was  to  be  a long-continued  one,  inaugurated 
and  conducted  on  the  basis  of  war  to  the  knife, 
and  knife  to  the  hilt.  The  country  was  aroused  to 
a deep  and  untiring  attention  to  every  detail  of  the 
Chicago  proceedings,  and  the  newspapers  were 
devoured  by  their  thousands  of  readers  with  an 
avidity  that  spoke  well  for  the  political  fortunes  of 
our  country.  For  no  people  can  come  to  great 
disaster  who  show  an  intelligent,  jealous  interest 
in  the  proceedings  of  those  who  govern  them. 

To  return  to  the  convention.  The  Committee 
on  Credentials  had  a hard  time  of  it.  At  midnight 
on  Thursday  it  had  been  in  continuous  session 
for  six  hours.  It  had  settled  the  Illinois  district 
contestants  at  the  exoense  of  eighteen  votes  for 
Grant  (this  was  a question  of  whether  delegates 
elected  by  a gag-law  convention  or  by  the  districts 
should  be  seated),  had  agreed  to  the  admission  of 
a divided  delegation  from  Louisiana,  and  had 
reached  the  Pennsylvania  cases  (the  question  here 
was  somewhat  similar  to  that  of  Illinois — a packed 
convention  instructing  delegates  the  opposite  way 


400 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


from  the  will  of  the  people,  and  the  people  elect- 
ing those  who  fairly  represented  them).  The  con- 
testants were  finally  admitted.  Other  cases  occu- 
pied the  committee  all  night,  the  session  coming 
to  a close  in  the  gray  dawn  of  Friday  morning. 

The  convention  assembled  a little  later,  and  by 
forty-five  minutes  after  ten  was  ready  for  the  busi- 
ness of  the  third  day.  Senator  Conkling  began 
the  trouble  by  offering  the  following: 

Resolved , As  the  sense  of  this  convention,  that  every  mem- 
ber of  it  is  bound  in  honor  to  support  its  nominee,  whoever 
^hat  nominee  might  be,  and  that  no  man  shall  hold  his  seat 
here  who  is  not  ready  so  to  agree. 

This  furnished  the  key-note  for  a debate  that  not 
only  illustrated  fairly  the  direction  in  which  the 
leaders  were  driving,  but  declared  in  no  tones  of 
doubt,  some  principles  of  political  wisdom,  that  are 
admirable  reading  in  these  days  of  political  fer- 
ment. The  Associated  Press  report  of  the  debate 
was  as  follows : 

Mr.  Flale,  mounting  his  chair,  said  he  supposed 
that  a Republican  convention  did  not  need  to  be 
instructed  that  its  first  duty  after  naming  its  candi- 
date was  to  proceed  to  elect  him  over  the  Demo- 
cratic candidate.  [Applause.]  They  all  had  their 
preferences,  but  when  the  deliverance  was  had 
from  all  the  labor  of  the  convention  he  had  no 
doubt  that  they  should  all  be  found  hand  in  hand, 
shoulder  to  shoulder,  marching  on  to  the  election 
of  their  candidate. 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


401 


Mr.  Brandagee  called  for  a vote  by  a call  of 
States  to  emphasize  its  purpose  and  to  ascertain 
who  are  for  it,  who  are  against  it  and  who  will  try 
to  escape  it.  [Applause.] 

The  chair  put  the  question  first  viva  voce,  and 
there  were  apparently  half  a dozen  nays.  Mr. 
Conkling  asked  for  a call  of  the  States,  saying  it 
was  desirable  to  know  who  it  was  in  a Republican 
convention  voted  no  on  such  a resolution.  [Ap- 
plause.] The  chair  put  the  question  to  the  con- 
vention as  to  whether  there  should  be  a call  of 
States,  and  it  was  ordered  by  an  overwhelming 
vote. 

The  clerk  then  proceeded  to  call  the  roll. 
Maine  voted  unanimously  yea.  [Applause.] 
New  York  voted  70  yeas.  Pennsylvania  voted 
58  yeas.  Only  one  delegate  being  present  from 
South  Carolina,  he  cast  his  single  vote  yea.  West 
Virginia  cast  5 yeas  and  3 nays.  [Hisses.]  Two 
delegates  wrere  absent.  The  total  vote  was  : Yeas, 
716  ; nays,  3.  So  the  resolution  wras  adopted. 

Mr.  Conkling  said  he  wanted  to  offer  another 
resolution,  which  he  would  reduce  to  writing  in  a 
moment,  as  follows : 

Resolved,  That  the  delegates  who  have  voted  that  they 
will  not  abide  the  action  of  the  convention  do  not  deserve  to 
• have  seats,  and' have  forfeited  their  votes  in  the  convention. 
[Subdued  applause  and  some  hisses.] 

Mr.  Campbell,  of  West  Virginia,  who  had  cast 


402 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


the  vote  of  that  State,  defended  his  position.  He 
had  suffered  contumely  and  violence  for  his  Re- 
publican  principles,  and  if  he  was  now  to  be  denied 
the  free  expression  of  his  opinion  in  a Republican 
convention,  he  was  willing  to  withdraw  from  that 
convention.  He  had  imbibed  his  Republican  prin- 
ciples from  the  great  New  York  statesman,  William 
H.  Seward.  He  had  been  a newspaper  editor 
since  the  John  Brown  raid  at  Harper’s  Ferry,  and 
had  always  consistently  supported  the  national 
Republican  nominee.  But  he  felt  that  there  was 
a principle  in  this  question.  He  would  never  go 
to  any  convention  and  agree  beforehand  that  what- 
ever might  be  done  by  it  should  have  his  indorse- 
ment. He  always  intended  to  guard  his  own 
sovereignty.  [Applause.]  He  never  intended 
that  any  body  of  men  should  take  that  sovereignty 
from  him.  As  he  had  not  been  afraid  to  stand  up 
for  Republican  principles  in  West  Virginia,  he 
was  not  afraid  to  go  home  and  face  his  con- 
stituents. 

Mr.  Hale,  of  West  Virginia,  who  voted  aye,  de- 
fended the  right  of  his  colleague  to  vote  as  he  saw 
fit,  [applause],  to  utter  his  own  sentiments  as  an 
individual  delegate. 

Mr.  Brandagee,  of  Connecticut,  said  the  ques- 
tion was  not  one  of  free  speech.  No  man  here 
will  seek  to  hinder  any  delegate’s  free  speech.  It 
was  only  a question  as  to  what  any  man  would  do 
for  the  support  of  Republican  principles.  He  con- 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


403 

tinued  at  considerable  length  until  greeted  with 
hisses. 

Mr.  McCormick,  of  West  Virginia,  avowed  him- 
self one  of  the  three  dissenters,  not  because  he 
did  not  expect  to  support  the  nominee  of  this  con- 
vention, for  he  did  intend  to  do  that,  no  matter 
who  he  should  be.  He  was  as  good  a Republican 
as  the  gentleman  from  New  York,  and  whereas  the 
latter  made  only  one  speech  for  the  nominee  of 
the  last  National  Republican  Convention,  he 
(Mr.  McCormick)  made  one  hundred.  [Great 
applause  and  cheers.]  He  opposed  the  resolution 
only  because  it  declares  that  men  are  not  fit  to  sit 
in  the  convention  if  they  differ  from  other  mem- 
bers of  it. 

Mr.  Garfield,  of  Ohio,  who  was  received  with  a 
most  flattering  ovation,  expressed  his  fear  that  the 
convention  was  about  to  commit  a grave  error. 
He  would  state  the  case.  Every  delegate  save 
three  had  voted  for  a resolution,  and  the  three 
who  had  voted  against  it  had  risen  in  their  places 
and  stated  they  expected  and  intended  to  support 
the  nominee  of  the  convention.  But  it  was  not,  in 
their  judgment,  a wise  thing  at  this  time  to  pass 
the  resolution  which  all  the  rest  of  the  delegates 
had  voted  for.  Were  they  to  be  disfranchised 
because  they  thought  so  ? [Cries  of  “ No  ! No!”] 
That  was  the  question.  Was  every  delegate  to 
have  his  Republicanism  inquired  into  before  he 
was  allowed  to  vote  ? Delegates  were  responsi- 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


404 

ble  for  their  votes,  not  to  the  convention,  but  to 
their  constituents.  [Cheers.]  He  himself  would 
never,  in  any  convention,  vote  against  his  judg- 
ment. He  regretted  that  the  gentlemen  from 
West  Virginia  had  thought  it  best  to  break  the 
harmony  of  the  convention  by  their  dissent.  He 
did  not  know  those  gentlemen,  nor  their  affilia- 
tions, nor  their  relations  to  the  candidates.  If  this 
convention  expelled  these  men,  then  the  conven- 
tion would  have  to  purge  itself  at  the  end  of  every 
vote  and  inquire  how'  many  delegates  who  had 
voted  “no”  should  go  out.  [Cheers.]  He  trusted 
that  the  gentleman  from  New  York  would  with- 
draw his  resolution  and  let  the  convention  proceed 
with  its  business.  [Loud  cheering.] 

When  this  had  subsided,  Mr.  Pixley,  of  Califor- 
nia, moved  to  lay  the  resolution  on  the  table. 
[Applause.] 

Mr.  Conkling  demanded  the  call  of  the  roll. 
[Hisses  long  and  furious.] 

A call  of  the  roll  was  ordered.  Mr.  Conkling 

o 

inquired  of  the  chair  whether  the  three  gentlemen 
from  West  Virginia  did  say  that  they  would  vote 
•or  the  nominee  of  the  convention.  The  chair 
said  it  was  not  his  province  to  answer  the  ques- 
tion. Mr.  Conkling  said  he  would  not  press  his 
resolution  if  his  question  was  answered  in  the  af- 
firmative, and  finally  he  withdrew  the  resolution, 
as  he  said  there  seemed  to  be  some  doubt.  [Ap- 
plause and  hisses.] 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


405 


General  Sewell,  of  New  Jersey,  moved  that  the 
Committee  on  Rules  be  ordered  to  report,  with  the 
understanding  that  no  action  should  be  taken 
upon  the  report  until  after  the  report  of  the  Com- 
mittee on  Credentials  had  been  presented.  During 
the  reading  of  this  report,  Senator  Bruce,  of 
Mississippi,  temporarily  occupied  the  chair,  and 
was  received  with  applause  on  taking  it.  The 
rules  were  then  read  by  the  secretary ; the  one 
forbidding  the  employment  of  any  unit  rule  was 
received  with  great  applause.  This  was  Rule  8, 
and  provided  as  follows : “ In  the  record  of  a vote 
by  States,  the  vote  of  each  State,  Territory  and 
District  of  Columbia  shall  be  announced  by  the 
chairman,  and  in  announcing  the  vote  of  any  State, 
Territory  and  District  of  Columbia,  the  chairman 
shall  announce  the  number  of  votes  cast  for  any 
candidate,  or  for  or  against  any  proposition,  but  if 
exception  is  taken  by  any  delegate  to  the  correct- 
ness of  such  announcement  by  the  chairman  of  a 
delegation,  the  president  of  the  convention  shall 
direct  the  roll  of  such  delegation  to  be  called  and 
the  result  shall  be  recorded  in  accordance  with  the 
vote  individually  given.” 

The  five-minute  rule  was  enforced  by  Rule  9. 

Mr.  Sharpe,  of  New  York,  presented  a minority 
report  recommending  the  adoption  for  Rule  8 of 
Rule  6 of  the  convention  of  1876,  as  follows: 

“ In  the  record  of  votes  by  States  the  vote  of 
each  State,  Territorv  and  the  District  of  Columbia 


406 


LIRE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OR 


shall  be  announced  by  the  chairman,  and  in  case 
the  vote  of  any  State,  Territory  or  the  District  of 
Columbia  shall  be  divided,  the  chairman  shall  an- 
nounce the  number  of  votes  cast  for  any  candidate, 
or  for  or  against  any  proposition.” 

After  this  was  buried  in  the  adoption  of  the 
majority  report,  the  convention  did  nothing  in  par- 
ticular while  waiting  the  long-delayed  report  of 
the  Committee  on  Credentials.  At  last  it  was 
presented  by  Mr.  Conger,  of  Michigan. 

In  Louisiana  the  committee  recommended  the 
admission  of  the  Warmouth  delegation,  excluding 
the  Beattie  delegation,  because  the  Beattie  bolt 
was  without  adequate  cause.  In  Alabama  they 
recommended  the  admission  of  Mr.  Rapier, 
believing  that  the  State  Convention  had  no 
right  to  override  or  ignore  his  selection  by  his 
district  because  of  his  failure  to  approve  the 
condition  that  he  should  obey  the  instructions  that 
the  State  delegation  should  vote  as  a unit  for 
Grant.  In  the  case  of  Smith  and  Warner,  in  Ala* 
bama,  the  facts  were  substantially  the  same  as  in 
the  case  of  Rapier.  They  were  duly  chosen  by 
their  respective  districts,  and  the  State  Convention 
undertook  to  revoke  their  appointment  because 
they  failed  to  accept  the  unit  rule.  The  committee 
recommended  their  admission.  In  Illinois  the 
committee  recommended  the  admission  of  the 
contestants  to  the  seats  of  the  sitting  members 
from  the  First,  Third,  Fourth,  Fifth,  Sixth,  Ninth, 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


407 


Tenth,  Thirteenth  and  Seventeenth  Congressional 
Districts.  The  committee  also  reported  against 
the  contestant  in  the  Second  Illinois  District,  and 
did  not  sustain  the  objections  of  the  delegates-at- 
large  in  the  same  State.  They  further  reported 
in  favor  of  the  sitting  members  from  the  Ninth 
and  Nineteenth  Districts  of  Pennsylvania  and 
Third  District  of  West  Virginia.  They  also  re- 
ported in  favor  of  the  contestants  from  the  Second 
and  Third  Districts  of  Kansas,  and  that  the  ten 
delegates  should  be  allowed  to  retain  their  seats, 
but  only  six  votes  be  cast.  They  recommended 
that  the  delegates  from  Utah  should  keep  their 
seats.  The  committee  suggested  that  the  final 
decision  of  many  of  these  contests  depended  upon 
the  adoption  by  the  convention  of  the  principle  of 
Congressional  District  representation.  This  the 
committee  believed  to  be  sound.  The  report  cited 
J.  D.  Cameron’s  support  of  the  right  of  individual 
district  representations  at  the  convention  of  1876, 
under  precisely  similar  circumstances  and  a similar 
call  for  a National  Convention.  The  report  did 
not  believe  that  the  right  of  Congressional  District 
representation  should  be  invaded  for  the  first  time 
by  the  action  of  a National  Convention.  If  the 
State  Convention  could,  by  a bare  majority,  over- 
ride the  will  of  the  people,  fairly  expressed  in  the 
selection  of  district  delegates,  it  might  as  well  ap- 
point at  once  all  the  delegates.  Nominations 

made  through  such  misrepresentations  were  not 
24 


408 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


likely  to  be  ratified  by  the  people.  It  was  the 
duty  of  the  convention  to  disapprove  emphatically 
all  attempts  to  override  the  high  moral  customs  of 
the  party. 

The  report  was  received  with  applause,  and  Mr. 
Clayton,  of  Arkansas,  presented  the  report  of  the 
minority,  which  differed  upon  the  vital  question  of 
district  representation.  The  recommendation  of 
the  majority,  if  adopted,  would,  the  minority  con- 
sidered,  work  as  an  ex  post  facto  rule,  reversing 
the  long-established  usage  of  the  party  in  many 
States.  They  urged  that  there  was  a vacancy  in 
the  district  claimed  by  Rapier,  and  that  the  sitting 
members  were  entitled  to  the  seats  which  the 
majority  report  awarded  to  Smith  and  Warner. 
The  minority  said  that  as  Rapier  refused  to  accept 
the  pledge  exacted  by  the  State  Convention,  he 
was  there  without  credentials ; also,  that  he  was 
not  elected  by  his  district,  but  only  nominated,  and 
that,  except  through  the  action  of  the  State  con- 
vention ratifying  his  nomination,  he  had  no  au- 
thority whatever.  It  did  not  appear  that  there 
had  been  any  district  conventions  in  Alabama  at 
which  the  Alabama  contestants  had  been  chosen. 
Their  authority  there  could  rest  only  on  action  in 
the  State  Convention.  If  the  principle  of  district 
representation  was  a sound  one,  then  more  than 
half  of  the  delegates  sitting  in  the  convention 
were  there  without  right,  and  if  the  rule  was 
rigidly  applied  the  body  would  find  itself  without 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


409 


a quorum.  In  the  case  of  Illinois,  the  minority 
report  made  an  elaborate  statement  of  facts,  and 
denied  a charge  made  against  the  State  Conven- 
tion  that  it  entered  into  a gigantic  conspiracy  to 
defraud  the  electors.  The  State  Convention  de- 
clared its  preference  for  Grant,  and  instructed  the 
delegates  to  vote  as  a unit  for  him.  Was  the  con- 
vention to  say  that  the  majority  of  the  convention 
of  the  State  of  Illinois  possessed  no  such  power  ? 
Would  the  convention  undertake  to  say,  and 
would  the  country  justify  it  in  saying,  that  the  ma- 
jority of  the  people  in  so  great  a State  should  not 
be  permitted  to  express  their  preferences  on  ques- 
tions of  this  character,  and  that  if  they  had  clear 
and  distinct  preferences  they  should  be  utterly 
helpless  in  the  selection  of  the  methods  by  which 
that  preference  was  to  be  made  effectual?  It  was 
absurd  upon  the  face  of  it,  to  say  that  Illinois,  or 
any  other  State,  had  a right  to  instruct  its  dele- 
gates to  vote  for  a particular  candidate,  and  yet 
had  not  the  power  to  make  such  instructions  ef- 
fectual and  binding.  The  report  took  the  ground 
that  local  squabbles,  as  in  the  case  of  Cook  Coun- 
ty, should  be  left  to  the  State,  and  not  transferred 
to  the  National  Convention.  The  report  ended 
with  a recommendation  that  the  sitting  delegates 
should  be  allowed  to  keep  their  seats. 

Mr.  Conger  handed  in  the  corrected  list  of 
delegates  as  reported  by  his  committee,  and 
moved  the  convention  proceed  to  consider  the 


410 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


Louisiana  cases.  This  was  the  signal  for  a run. 
ning  fight  in  debate,  and  the  delegates  soon  got 
at  it. 

Mr.  Cessna,  of  Pennsylvania,  moved  to  adopt 
all  the  report  on  which  the  committee  had  agreed, 
and  then  proceed  to  the  separate  consideration  of 
the  disputed  issues  involving  the  contests  in  Ala- 
bama, Illinois,  West  Virginia  and  Utah. 

Mr.  Conklinp-  called  for  the  consideration  of  the 

o 

questions  which  fell  within  the  list  of  undisputed 
cases. 

Mr.  Conger  said  this  list  embraced  the  cases  of 
Louisiana,  the  Second  District  of  Illinois,  the  Illi- 
nois delegates-at-large,  the  Second  and  Fourth 
Districts  of  Kansas,  and  the  Ninth  and  Nineteenth 
Districts  of  Pennsylvania. 

Mr.  Logan  inquired  how  it  happened  that  there 
was  any  report  as  to  the  four  delegates-at-large 
from  the  State  of  Illinois.  It  was  the  first  time 
that  he  had  heard  of  the  right  to  their  seats  being 
questioned. 

Mr.  Conger  replied  that  petitions  against  the 
right  of  the  four  delegates-at-large  had  been  pre- 
sented to  the  convention  and  referred  to  the  com 
mittee,  and  hence  it  was  necessary  for  the  com- 
mittee to  notice  the  subject  in  its  report.  Mr. 
Logan  indignantly  protested  against  his  right  to  a 
seat  being  called  into  question,  and  intimated  that 
he  perfectly  well  understood  the  object  of  it.  He 
submitted  that  he  was  entitled  to  fair  play,  and  he 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


41  i 

complained  of  the  treatment  to  which  he  and  the 
man  who  had  led  the  armies  of  the  nation  to  vic- 
tory had  been  treated.  [Cheers  for  Grant.]  Had 
the  Republicans  of  Illinois  ever  failed  to  do  their 
duty  in  the  hour  of  peril,  when  the  dark  cloud 
lowered  over  the  peace  and  prosperity  of  the 
country  ? Had  they  not  given  their  muscle  and 
nerve  and  soldierly  qualities  for  the  preservation 
of  the  Republic?  [Applause.] 

A Kansas  delegate  objected  to  the  inclusion  ol 
Kansas  in  the  list  of  undisputed  questions. 

Mr.  Cessna  modified  his  motion  so  as  to  give 
separate  action  on  the  Kansas  case. 

Mr.  Sharpe,  of  New  York,  moved  to  amend  the 
pending  motion  so  as  to  strike  from  the  majority 
report  so  much  of  it  as  related  to  the  Illinois  dele- 
gates-at-large.  [Applause.] 

Mr.  Conger  replied  to  Mr.  Logan,  expressing 
profound  regret  that  a gentleman  whom  he  so 
much  loved  and  honored  should  have  imagdned 

• o 

that  the  Committee  on  Credentials  intended  the 
slightest  reflection  upon  him.  He  reminded  him 
that  the  credentials  of  all  delegates  had  been  sub- 
mitted to  the  committee — those  of  the  hiofli  and 

c> 

lifted  up  as  well  as  those  of  the  humblest  delegate 
from  the  wilds  of  the  South.  [Laughter  and  ap- 
plause.] It  wonld  have  been  unworthy  of  the 
splendid  Committee  on  Credentials  not  t©  have  told 
the  convention  in  distinct  words  that  the  lofty  and 
distinguished  citizen  of  the  State  of  Illinois  was 


412 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


entitled  to  a seat  in  the  convention.  He  made  no 
apology  to  that  gentleman,  or  to  the  State  of  Illi- 
nois, or  to  this  great  body  of  people,  for  the  moral 
courage  of  the  committee  which  enabled  it  to  say 
to  the  world  that  the  gentleman  (Mr.  Logan)  was 
entitled  to  his  seat. 

Mr.  Cessna’s  amendment  was  then  adopted 
without  dissent.  The  question  was  then  stated  on 
Mr.  Sharpe’s  motion  to  amend,  and  Mr.  Haywood, 
of  California,  pointed  out  that  if  Mr.  Sharpe’s  mo- 
tion should  prevail,  the  seats  of  the  Illinois  dele- 
gates would  be  contested,  while  the  committee 
proposed  to  put  their  title  beyond  question  or  dis- 
pute in  history. 

After  some  personal  sparring  between  Mr.  Hay- 
wood and  Mr.  Logan  in  regard  to  the  latter’s 
action  at  Springfield,  Mr.  Sharpe’s  motion,  modi- 
fied so  as  to  strike  from  the  majority  report  as 
much  of  it  as  implied  that  there  was  any  contest 
regarding  the  Illinois  delegation  at  large,  was 
adopted.  So  much  of  the  committee’s  report  as 
was  undisputed,  was  then  adopted,  and  on  motion 
of  Mr.  Bruce,  of  Mississippi,  the  convention  ad- 
journed until  seven  P.  M. 

The  convention  re-assembled  at  half-past  seven, 
and  continued  in  session  for  several  hours,  during 
which  the  debates  were  confined  exclusively  to  the 
question  of  contested  eases,  as  reported  by  the 
Committee  on  Credentials,  and  the  interruptions 
in  the  shape  of  applause  were  remarkable  in  their 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


413 


singular  spontaneity  and  prolongation  when  James 
G.  Blame  and  U.  S.  Grant  were  mentioned  by  the 
speakers.  The  brilliancy  of  the  scene  during  this 
session  was  remarkable,  the  unusual  presence  of 
ladies  in  bright  colors,  the  thousands  of  gas-jets, 
the  flowers,  flags,  banners  and  portraits,  sur- 
rounded by  the  National  bunting,  framed  in  a 
picture  never  to  be  forgotten  by  those  who  wit- 
nessed it. 

In  the  contested  cases,  that  of  Alabama  was  first 
taken  up,  and  debate  was  limited  to  twenty  min- 
utes on  each  side.  The  case  of  Mr.  Rapier  was 
shown  to  be  whether  the  State  Convention  had  a 
right  to  deprive  him  of  his  vote  merely  because  he 
refused  to  vote  for  General  Grant.  The  same 
point  was  the  issue  in  all  the  Alabama  cases.  The 
sparring  continued  to  the  time  of  limit  of  the  de- 
bate, and  the  question  having  been  stated  to  be 
the  motion  to  substitute  the  minority  report  for 
the  majority’s,  Mr.  Boutwell,  of  Massachusetts, 
moved  the  following : 

Resolved,  That  all  the  cases  of  contested  seats  be  decided 
by  adopting  the  usage  of  each  State,  and  that  in  every  State 
where  the  uniform  usage  has  been  to  elect  delegates  to  the 
National  Republican  Convention  by  the  State  Convention, 
that  usage  shall  be  deemed  binding,  and  the  same  shall  be 
true  in  respect  of  delegates  sent  by  District  Conventions 
where  that  has  been  the  usage. 

Mr.  Conger  rose  to  a point  of  order,  that  the 
resolution  was  not  germaine  to  the  pending  ques- 


4H 


LIFE  AMD  PUBLIC  CAREER  0F 


tion,  and  the  chair  sustained  the  point.  The  ques- 
tion was  put  and  decided  viva  voce  overwhelm- 
ingly in  the  negative.  A division  was  demanded, 
and  the  result  was,  yeas  306,  nays  449.  The 
announcement  which  settled  the  question  of  a State 
Convention’s  power  to  compel  a delegate  to  vote 
as  it  directs,  was  received  with  tumultuous  ap- 
plause. The  majority  report  was  then  adopted. 

The  case  of  Illinois  was  then  taken  up,  and  Mr. 
Quarles,  of  Wisconsin,  moved  that  the  debate  be 
limited  to  one  hour,  to  be  equally  divided  between 
both  sides.  This  brought  the  irrepressible  Hot- 
spur of  Illinois,  John  A.  Logan,  to  his  feet,  who 
urged  greater  allowances  of  time,  and  made 
another  reference  to  “ the  old  soldier,”  that  drew 
applause.  “ If,”  he  said,  “ you  can  beat  the  old 
soldier,  all  right ; you  beat  the  man  who  has  been 
recognized  by  every  civilized  nation  of  the  world. 
But  do  not  by  tactics  drive  Illinois  down  to  prevent 
the  old  soldier  from  having  his  share  of  the  States.” 
Mr.  Logan  said  he  was  informed  that  the  Califor- 
nia delegates  were  not  awarded  their  credentials 
until  they  had  taken  the  pledge  to  support  the 
candidate  for  whom  the  State  Convention  in- 
structed them  to  vote.  He  asked  the  California 
delegation  to  say  what  the  fact  was. 

In  a moment  there  was  silence,  followed  by  de- 
risive laughter,  under  the  supposition  that  the 
Californians  could  not  deny  the  accusation. 

Finally,  Mr,  Haymond,  of  California,  got  up  on 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


415 


his  chair  and  said  the  question  could  not  be  an- 
swered in  one  word,  but  he  would  be  most  happy 
to  respond  if  he  could  be  allowed  a little  time  in 
which  to  do  so.  “ California  selected  her  delegates 
to  this  convention  by  the  vote  of  each  district 
represented  here ; their  appointment  was  con- 
firmed by  the  State  Convention,  and  that  in  order 
that  there  should  be  no  mistake  about  it,  the  State 
Convention  had  then,  with  perfect  unanimity,  in- 
structed the  delegates  to  vote  first,  last  and  all  the 
time,  for  the  distinguished  senator  from  Maine.” 

These  last  words  proved  the  spark  that  had  all 
along  been  wanted  to  fire  the  train  of  dry  Blaine 
powder  within  Exposition  Hall.  His  name  acted 
like  an  electric  flash,  and  there  followed  Mr.  Hay- 
mond’s  allusion  to  the  Maine  senator  such  a scene 
of  excitement  as  has  rarely  been  witnessed  in  a 
political  convention  within  the  United  States. 
Three-fourths  of  the  immense  throng  in  the  gal- 
leries and  on  the  floor  outside  of  the  space  allotted 
to  delegates,  and  fully  one-half  of  the  delegates 
themselves,  sprang  to  their  feet,  cheering,  shout- 
ing, waving  hats,  handkerchiefs,  umbrellas,  for  the 
space  of  several  minutes,  before  any  attempt  at 
restoring  order  could  make  the  least  impression 
on  the  excited  mass. 

Subsequently  the  time  allotted  to  the  Illinois 
case  was  limited  to  an  hour  on  each  side,  and  Mr. 
Conger  opened  the  debate  in  favor  of  the  majority 
report,  which  he  said  asserted,  confirmed  and  es- 


416 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


tablished  in  that  convention  the  rule  that  had  pre- 
vailed in  Illinois  from  the  birth  of  the  Republican 
party  down  to  the  present  time,  the  rule  of  dis- 
trict representation.  Mr.  Raum  replied  for  the 
sitting  delegates,  but  had  no  adequate  arguments 
against  Mr.  Conger’s  facts.  Eliott  Anthony  spoke 
for  the  opposition,  and  was  succeeded  by  Mr.  Storrs, 
of  Illinois,  who  made  a speech,  the  principal  effect 
of  which  was  to  cause  wild  bursts  of  applause  for 
Blaine  and  Grant.  The  sentence,  “Nominate 
James  G.  Blaine  if  you  will,”  was  the  signal  for 
another  grand  outburst  of  applause,  which  was 
renewed  and  intensified  when  he  finished  the  sen- 
tence thus:  “And  then  those  who  now  shout  in 
the  galleries  shall  by  and  by  be  reposing  under 
the  influence  of  the  summer  sun  ; but  the  followers 
of  the  grand  old  silent  soldier  will  still  be  found 
wide  awake  and  watching  by  their  camp-fires  and 
carrying  the  banners  of  the  sluggards.” 

The  scene  which  followed  and  continued  for 
several  minutes  was  most  exciting,  the  uproar 
dying  away,  then  breaking  out  again  many  times, 
a perfect  epidemic  of  cheers.  What  came  next 
was  thus  described  by  a correspondent: 

“Mr.  Conkling  was  conspicuous  in  leading  the 
chorus,  first  by  waving  his  handkerchief  and  later 
by  standing  on  his  chair  and  waving  the  illumina- 
ted little  banner  placed  to  designate  the  seats  of 
the  New  York  delegation.  Finally  some  one 
started  the  campaign  songs:  ‘We’ll  Rally  ’Round 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


417 

the  Flag,  Boys,  Shouting  the  Battle-cry  of  Free- 
dom,’ and  ‘Marching  through  Georgia.’ 

“At  this  time  nearly  every  person  within  the  hall 
was  on  his  feet,  each  cheering  for  his  own  favorite. 
Flags,  shawls,  parasols,  hats  and  all  other  movable 
things  within  reach  were  swung  furiously  to  and 
fro.  Bob  Ingersoll,  seizing  a lady’s  shawl,  waved 
it  frantically  from  the  platform.  In  the  centre  of 
the  stage,  just  back  of  the  chair,  a fine-looking 
lady,  with  a flag  in  one  hand  and  parasol  in  the 
other,  swung  them  to  and  fro  and  repeated  time 
and  again,  ‘Hurrah  for  Blaine!’  She  appeared 
to  be  in  company  with  Governor  Jewell,  of  Con- 
necticut. Finally,  she  obtained  two  flags,  and 
with  one  in  each  hand  continued  her  enthusiastic 
efforts  as  long  as  the  uproar  lasted.  It  may 
safely  be  said  that  no  public  assemblage  ever  be- 
fore witnessed  such  a scene.  People  seemed  ac- 
tually to  have  lost  their  senses  in  the  giddy  whirl.” 

For  half  an  hour  this  continued  before  the  chair 
made  any  effort  to  control  the  members.  The 
Illinois  cases  were  then  disposed  of  in  favor  of  the 
majority,  and,  worn  out  with  excitement,  the  con- 
vention shortly  after  adjourned  to  Saturday 
morning. 


418 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

THE  THUNDERS  OF  ORATORY. 

^ ¥ AHE  weather,  which  till  now  had  been  aus- 
picious, changed  its  mood  with  the  dawn 
of  the  fourth  day  of  the  great  battle,  and 
those  who  left  their  hotels  and  homes  for  Exposi- 
tion Hall  had  to  face  inclemency.  Inside  the 
Hall,  however,  there  was  but  little  change.  A 
distinguished  editor,  writing  home  to  his  paper, 
thus  described  the  opening  on  June  5th: 

“ Cameron  looked  freshest  of  all  the  chief 
gladiators.  He  wasted  none  of  his  vitality  in  ora- 
tory, and  his  energies  had  not  been  lavishly 
taxed,  like  those  of  Logan,  Conger  and  others. 
Pie  flitted  about  on  the  platform  before  the  con- 
vention opened,  visibly  anxious,  but  calm  and  im- 
perturbable as  ever.  , When  the  call  to  arms  rang 
out  from  the  chair,  he  hastened  down  to  his  com- 
mand, where  the  Grant  leaders  were  admirably 
posted.  Cameron,  with  his  Pennsylvania  phalanx, 
shattered,  but  yet  defiant,  was  in  the  centre  of  the 
western  block  of  the  convention  ; Conkling,  with 
his  better-preserved  New  York  corps,  in  the  cen- 
tre of  the  field,  with  Boutwell  and  his  few  Massa- 
chusetts followers,  and  with  Creswell  and  his  cun- 
ningly broken  Blaine  column  of  Maryland,  and 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


4T9 


his  dozen  of  Ohio  Grant  men,  forming  a semi-cir- 
cle in  the  rear  of  the  undisputed  third-term  chief 
on  the  eastern  block.  Within  easy  call  of  Ala- 
bama and  Arkansas  was  the  clouded  face  and  burly 
form  of  Logan.  A brood  of  strangers  sat  with 
him  in  his  own  delegation,  whom  he  had  rejected 
at  Springfield ; but  he  was  their  oracle  neverthe- 
less, although  he  made  discord  in  the  Grant 
melody  that  so  uniformly  came  from  Illinois  when 
the  roll-call  was  ordered.  Logan  was  early  at  his 
place ; his  dark  face  was  darker  than  ever,  and 
the  nervous  twitching  of  the  right  arm  that  he 
swings  so  violently  in  debate  told  that  he  was  im- 
patient for  the  final  charge.  His  hand  was 
jammed  into  his  wealth  of  Indian  locks  every  few 
moments  and  then  would  drop  from  force  of  habit 
to  adjust  the  right  lapel  of  his  coat.  Creswell 
came  in  as  serene  as  if  a Grant  victory  were 
gained ; but  Bo'utwell  betrayed  the  harassing  con- 
flict going  on  between  his  hopes  and  fears. 
He  has  outgrown  his  amiability  with  departing 
powers,  and  he  is  not  vested  with  a command  in 
critical  emergencies.  Taft  sat  complacently  be- 
tween the  Sherman  and  Garfield  expectants,  pa- 
tiently waiting  for  the  hour  when  he  could  take  a 
third  or  more  of  his  delegation  to  his  old  com- 
mander. 

“ Conkling  awaited,  as  is  his  custom,  until  the 
ten  thousand  people  had  come  and  got  clearly 
seated,  and  then  he  strode  down  the  centre  aisle 


420 


LIFE  AND  rUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


in  his  imperial  manner.  He  knew  that  his  ap- 
pearance would  be  the  signal  for  a thundering 
salute  to  himself  and  the  first  round  of  party  ap- 
plause for  Grant,  and  he  was  not  mistaken.  He 
played  it  nobly  and  smiled  in  his  sweetest  manner 
to  his  worshipers.  The  Blaine  leaders  were  fid- 
gety and  flying  hither  and  thither  until  they  had  to 
get  in  line  for  the  battle.  Hale  and  Frye  looked 
worn  with  anxiety  and  seemed  to  be  distrustful  of 
themselves.  They  knew  that  they  could  crowd 
Blaine  up  close  to  and  probably  abreast  with 
Grant  on  the  first  ballot,  but  they  trembled  with 
apprehension  lest  the  Sherman  wing  should  fail 
them  in  their  extremity.  They  entered  the  con- 
test hopeful  on  Sherman,  preferring  Blaine  to 
Grant,  but  they  knew  that  they  had  many  dan- 
gerous rocks  and  shoals  to  encounter  in  getting 
their  craft  to  shore.  It  is  the  day  of  fate  for 
Blaine.  His  generals  entered  the  fight  this  morn- 
ing conscious  that  if  they  lost,  the  execrations  of 
Blaine’s  millions  of  followers  would  fall  upon 
them.  They  had  been  reproached  for  two  days 
for  missing  the  golden  opportunity  to  nominate 
Blaine  on  Thursday,  when  the  Grant  lines  had 
been  broken  and  when  a vigorous  pursuit  would 
have  scattered  them  beyond  the  hope  of  concen- 
trating: again  under  the  flag  of  the  old  soldier. 
Just  in  front  of  Conkling  sits  the  shrewdest  and 
most  level-headed  of  all  the  Blaine  leaders.  Al- 
though seldom  seen  at  the  front,  General  Sewell, 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


421 


of  New  Jersey,  would  have  had  Blaine  nominated 
on  Thursday  evening  had  he  been  in  command  ; 
but  Chandler,  Frye  and  Hale  spoke,  and  Chand- 
ler spoke  away  two  hours  of  valuable  time. 

“The  residuary  legatees  in  expectancy  sat  at 
long  range  from  each  other.  The  little  Vermont 
delegation  was  nestled  down  in  the  south-west  cor- 
ner  of  the  hall;  and  they  had  the  Yankee  shrewd- 
ness that  keeps  its  own  counsels  and  throws  its 
tubs  most  judiciously  to  the  jostling  whales.  They 
made  no  speeches,  played  no  tricks  for  the  gal- 
leries, but  patiently  waited  and  hoped  for  the  line 
to  be  thrown  to  them  by  the  snarling  disputants 
for  its  possession.  They  did  not  even  boast  of  a 
leader,  although  they  have  some  of  the  Green 
Mountain  State’s  best  men  in  their  ranks. 

“The  other  camp  of  expectants  presented  several 
pretenders,  each  hoping  to  be  preferred  to  the 
others.  Governor  Foster  stepped  in  quietly,  and 
sat  down  as  serenely  as  if  it  was  to  be  a day  of 
pleasure.  He  did  not  attempt  to  rival  Garfield  in 
drawing  the  applause  of  the  upper  tiers,  but  he 
had  a quiet  impression  creeping  over  him  that  if 
Sherman  should  be  defeated,  the  governor  of  Sher- 
man’s State  would  be  made  the  Vice-President — 
to  pull  the  ticket  through  the  Buckeyes  in  October. 
'Dennison  and  Taft  came  in  at  the  rear  of  the 
herd,  like  the  veteran  bulls  that  have  been  dis- 
patched from  commanding  the  younger  and  more 
aggressive  buffaloes.  Bateman,  the  Sherman 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


42  2 

strategists,  dropped  in  early,  and  hastily  visited 
every  outpost  before  the  bugle  sounded  the  at- 
tack; and  Butterfield,  handsome  as  a picture  and 
graceful  and  fluent  on  the  floor,  chose  his  position 
where  he  could  catch  the  eye  of  the  chair.  This 
delegation  was  the  centre  of  interest  in  the  morn- 
ing, for  all  felt  that  it  held  the  fate  of  battle  in  its 
keeping.  The  correspondents  came  straggling  in, 
stiff  and  jaded,  but  they  speedily  forgot  their 
weariness  as  the  brilliant  sallies,  which  the  rising 
newspaper  men  can  display,  swiftly  crossed  their 
crowded  tables.  The  strong-minded  women  filed 
in  ir>  good  time  and  were  cheered  from  the  galle- 
ries, and  the  distinguished  guests  crowded  their 
libei  al  space,  and  waited  anxiously  for  the  first 
gun  of  the  decisive  struggle. 

“ President  Hoar  did  not  call  the  convention  to 
order  until  a quarter  before  twelve.  The  Kansas 
contest  was  the  first  business,  and  it  was  an  em- 
barrassing issue  to  both  sides.  The  Blaine-Sher- 
man  men  were  compelled  to  vote  out  four  of  their 
men  and  to  give  their  seats  to  Grant  men,  to 
justify  their  action  in  the  Illinois  case;  and  the 
Grant  men  had  to  vote  against  the  admission  of 
their  own  friends  to  maintain  their  consistency. 
The  Blaine-Sherman  men  preserved  their  inten- 
tion and  voted  out  their  own  men,  but  some  of 
the  fiercest  Grant  men  stood  obstinately  to  their 
guns,  and  voted  against  the  addition  of  four  to 
their  number.  Logan  rose  and,  in  dramatic  style, 


'JAMES  A.  GAS  FIELD. 


423 


cast  the  votes  of  his  Illinois  followers  against  his 
friends.  The  overwhelming  vote  of  476  to  184 
showed,  however,  that  separate  district  represen- 
tation is  henceforth  to  be  the  accepted  law  of  the 
party.  The  next  question  brought  about  a sud- 
den change  of  partners  in  the  national  waltz. 
Two  Sherman  men  contested  the  seats  of  the 
Blaine  delegates  from  West  Virginia,  and  the 
Sherman  men  were  thrown  into  an  alliance  with 
Grant  as  if  by  magic.  The  cut  came  from 
Massachusetts,  and  the  Blaine  leaders  saw  that 
an  unexpected  and  serious  danger  threatened 
them.  They  threw  out  their  flanks  to  stay  the 
union  between  the  Sherman  and  Grant  forces, 
but  it  was  Grouchy  after  Blucher  over  again. 
The  Sherman  men  piled  in  with  the  Grant  army, 
and  Blaine  was  compelled  for  the  first  time  to 
face  the  field  alone — as  Grant  had  to  meet  it  in 
several  previous  conflicts.  An  active  rally  was 
made  along  the  Blaine  lines,  but  the  vote  of 
every  divided  delegation  proved  that  many  who 
were  bitterly  against  Grant  were  as  bitterly 
against  Blaine,  and  the  ballot  footed  up  417  for 
the  new  Grant-Sherman  combination,  and  3 r 2 
against  it.” 

After  this  the  Utah  contesting  delegates  were 
seated  by  a vote  of  426  to  312,  and  the  contests 
were  finished. 

Mr.  Garfield,  of  Ohio,  who  on  rising  was  re- 
eeived  with  great  applause,  inquired  of  Mr.  Sharpe, 

25 


424 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


of  New  York,  who  made  the  minority  report  from 
the  Committee  on  Rules  and  Order  of  Business, 
how  much  time  he  desired  for  the  discussion  ol 
the  report. 

Mr.  Sharpe  could  not  tell  exactly,  and  the  mi- 
nority and  majority  reports  were  then  read. 

Mr.  Garfield  moved  the  adoption  of  the  ma- 
jority report. 

The  ensuing  debate  was  thus  reported  by  the 
Associated  Press: 

Mr.  Sharpe  criticized  the  proposed  amend- 
ment to  the  eighth  rule,  and  moved  to  strike  it 
out,  that  amendment  being  “but  if  exception  is 
taken  by  any  delegate  to  the  correctness  of  such 
an  announcement  by  the  chairman  of  his  delega- 
tion, the  president  of  the  convention  shall  direct 
the  roll  of  members  of  such  delegation  to  be  called 
and  the  result  recorded  in  accordance  with  the 
votes  individually  given.”  He  reminded  the  chair- 
man of  the  Committee  on  Rules  that  the  con- 
vention had  been  in  session  three  and  a half  days, 
and  had  had  no  trouble  from  the  absence  of  that 
rule,  which  he  regarded  as  entirely  unnecessary. 
He  was  not  here  to  seek  further  delay.  The  battle 
was  formed;  each  side  was  ready,  and  the  people 
were  waiting  for  the  verdict.  [Applause.]  They 
all  felt  that  whatever  was  to  be  obtained  on  the 
skirmish  line  had  been  obtained,  and  that  they 
were  standing  in  the  ranks  of  battle  opposite  each 
other,  and  ready  to  give  the  people  news  of  the 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


425 

contest.  He  therefore  offered  the  following  reso- 
lution: 

Resolved,  That  this  convention  will  proceed  immediately 
to  ballot  for  a candidate  for  President  of  the  United  States, 
and  that  one  speech  of  fifteen  minutes  shall  be  allowed  for  the 
presentation  of  each  candidate,  and  one  speech  of  ten  minutes 
to  second  each  nomination,  and  that  after  such  nominations 
are  made  a ballot  shall  be  taken  by  a call  of  the  roll  of  the 
States. 

Mr.  Garfield  raised  the  point  of  order  that 
under  the  order  of  the  convention  the  report  of 
the  Committee  on  Rules  was  before  the  body  and 
Mr.  Sharpe’s  motion,  being  for  proceeding  to  en- 
tirely different  business,  was  not  in  order. 

The  chair  ruled  Mr.  Sharpe’s  motion  in  order. 

A vote  was  ordered  by  call  of  States. 

Mr.  Sharpe  modified  his  resolution  so  as  to 
provide  that  after  the  nominating  speeches  shall 
have  been  made  the  ballots  for  Presidential  nomi- 
nees shall  be  taken  by  call  of  the  roll  of  the  States. 

Mr.  Garfield  pointed  out  that  if  Mr.  Sharpe’s 
motion  should  be  adopted  the  convention  would  be 
without  rules  for  its  government  and  especially 
without  any  rule  prescribing  whether  or  not  the 
unit  rule  shall  prevail  in  the  balloting  or  whether 
the  right  of  district  representation  shall  prevail. 
He  reminded  the  convention  that  it  had  witnessed 
a scene,  which  would  be  photographed  in  history, 
of  four  delegates  from  Kentucky  rising  on  their 


426 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


seats  and  protesting  against  their  votes  being 
counted  in  a way  in  which  they  had  not  cast  them. 
Let  the  rule  be  settled  and  he  would  be  bound  by 
it.  Let  it  be  the  unit  rule  or  let  it  be  the  individ- 
ual rule  and  he  would  feel  bound  by  it,  the  latter 
particularly,  because  he  considered  it  eternally 
right.  [Applause.] 

Mr.  Frye  (Me.)  asked  Mr.  Garfield  whether,  with- 
out the  adoption  of  any  of  the  rules  as  reported, 
and  especially  that  one  which  made  the  rules  of 
the  House  of  Representatives  the  rules  of  the 
convention,  there  would  be  any  such  thing  as  a 
previous  question. 

Mr.  Garfield  replied  that  there  would  not  be. 

Mr.  Frye. — If  there  be  no  previous  question, 
and  if,  after  the  first  ballot  is  taken,  as  provided 
in  the  resolution  offered  by  the  gentleman  from 
New  York  (Sharpe),  another  gentleman  makes 
another  nomination,  is  there  any  rule  by  which 
debate  from  that  time  forward  can  possibly  be 
stopped  ? 

Mr.  Garfield. — I take  it  that  there  is  not. 

Mr.  Conkling. — The  gentleman  from  Ohio  yields 
a moment  to  let  me  reply  to  the  closing  words  of 
the  gentleman  from  Maine  (Frye).  They  seem 
to  have  been  pointedly  aimed  at  me.  I wish  to 
say  to  that  gentleman  that  I do  not  clearly  see  the 
“point’’  of  his  alarmed  and  anxious  opposition.  He 
dreads  the  cross  of  bayonets,  shrinks  and  wants 
time.  [Cheers  and  hisses.] 


ja:.:es  a.  carfielp. 


427 


Mr.  Garfield. — I have  only  made  the  point  that 
we  ought  to  have  rules,  and  have  them  now  to 
conduct  and  control  the  future  business  of  the 
convention. 

Mr.  Sharpe  replied,  urging  that  the  dangers  of 
trouble  pointed  out  by  Mr.  Garfield,  in  the  absence 
of  any  adopted  rules,  were  imaginary,  and  inti- 
mating distinctly  that  there  would  be  no  attempt 
to  prevent  each  delegate  from  expressing  his  in- 
dividual sentiments  through  the  chairman  of  his 
delegation. 

The  chair  stated  the  question  to  be  upon  the 
substitution  of  Mr.  Sharpe’s  resolution  for  the  re- 
port of  the  Committee  on  Rules. 

Upon  a viva  voce  vote  the  negatives  had  it.  A 
call  of  States  was  demanded,  and  being  taken,  re- 
sulted: Yeas,  276;  nays,  479.  New  York  voted 
48  yeas,  22  nays.  The  result  was  hailed  with 
great  applause. 

Mr.  Garfield  said  the  convention  had  wasted  on 
this  vote  time  enough  to  have  adopted  the  rules 
and  gone  to  work.  He  asked  that  the  question 
now  be  taken  without  further  debate. 

Mr.  Sharpe  moved  to  substitute  the  minority  re- 
port, which  was  rejected. 

Mr.  Boutwell  moved  to  amend  the  majority  re- 
port by  adding  the  following:  “And  said  commit- 
tee (the  National  Republican  Committee)  shall, 
within  twelve  months,  prescribe  a method  or 
methods  for  the  election  of  delegates  to  the  Na- 

O 


428 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


tional  Convention  to  be  held  in  1884,  and  announce 
the  same  to  the  country  and  issue  a call  for  that 
convention  in  conformity  therewith.” 

Mr.  Butterworth  (Ohio)  moved  an  amendment 
by  adding  the  following:  “Provided,  that  nothing 
in  such  rules  or  method  shall  be  so  construed  as 
to  prevent  the  several  Congressional  districts  in 
the  United  States  from  selecting  their  own  dele- 
gates  to  the  National  Convention.  [Applause.] 

Mr.  Boutwell  accepted  Mr.  Butterworth’s  amend- 
ment. 

Mr.  Garfield  hoped  the  amendment  would  be 
adopted,  and  it  was  so  adopted  by  the  convention, 
and  then  the  rules  were  adopted  as  a whole. 

On  motion  of  Mr.  Garfield,  the  Committee  on 
Resolutions  were  ordered  to  report. 

The  committee  having  been  ordered  to  report, 
did  so,  and  the  platform  was  the  first  thing  read,  a 
document  presenting  the  issues  of  the  hour.  Its 
full  text  is  as  follows : 

The  Republican  party  in  National  Convention 
assembled,  at  the  end  of  twenty  years  since  the 
Federal  Government  was  first  committed  to  its 
charge,  submits  to  the  people  of  the  United  States 
this  brief  report  of6  its  administration.  It  sup- 
pressed rebellion  which  had  armed  nearly  a mil- 
lion of  men  to  subvert  the  national  authority.  It 
reconstructed  the  union  of  the  States  with  free- 
dom instead  of  slavery  as  its  corner-stone.  It 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


429 

transformed  four  million  human  beings  from  the 
likeness  of  thing's  to  the  rank  of  citizens.  It  re- 

o 

lieved  Congress  from  the  infamous  work  of  hunt- 
ing  fugitive  slaves  and  charged  it  to  see  that 
slavery  does  not  exist.  It  has  raised  the  value  of 
our  currency  from  thirty-eight  per  cent,  to  the  par 
of  gold.  It  has  restored  upon  a solid  basis  pay- 
ment in  coin  for  all  the  national  obligations,  and 
has  given  us  a currency  absolutely  good  and  equal 
in  every  part  of  our  extended  country.  It  has 
lifted  the  care  of  the  nation  from  the  point  where 
six  per  cent,  bonds  sold  at  eighty-six  to  that  where 
four  per  cent,  bonds  are  eagerly  sought  at  a pre- 
mium under  its  administration ; railways-  have  in- 
creased from  thirty-one  thousand  miles  in  i860  to 
more  than  eighty-two  thousand  miles  in  1879?  our 
foreign  trade  has  increased  from  seven  hundred 
millions  to  one  billion  one  hundred  and  fifty  mil- 
lions of  dollars  in  the  same  time,  and  our  exports, 
which  were  twenty  millions  of  dollars  less  than 
our  imports  in  i860,  were  two  hundred  and  sixty- 
four  millions  of  dollars  more  than  our  imports  in 
1879.  Without  resorting  to  loans  it  has,  since  the  . 
war  closed,  defrayed  the  ordinary  expenses  of 
government,  besides  the  accruing  interest  on  the 
public  debt,  and  dispersed  annually  more  than 
thirty  millions  of  dollars  for  soldiers’  pensions. 

It  has  paid  eight  hundred  and  eighty-eight  millions 
of  dollars  of  the  public  debt,  and,  by  refunding  the 
balance  at  lower  rates,  has  reduced  the  annual 


43° 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAPEEP  OF 


interest  charges  from  nearly  one  hundred  and 
fifty-one  millions  to  less  than  eighty-nine  millions 
of  dollars.  All  the  industries  of  the  country  have 
revived,  labor  is  in  demand,  wages  have  increased, 
and  throughout  the  entire  country  there  is  evi- 
dence of  a coming  prosperity  greater  than  we  have 
ever  enjoyed.  Upon  this  record  the  Republican 
party  asks  for  the  continued  confidence  and  sup- 
port of  the  people,  and  this  convention  submits 
for  their  approval  the  following  statements  of  the 
principle  and  purposes  which  will  continue  to  guide 
and  inspire  its  efforts : 

ist.  We  affirm  that  the  work  of  the  last  twenty- 
one  years  has  been  such  as  to  commend  itself  to 
the  favor  of  the  nation,  and  that  the  fruits  of  the 
costly  victory  which  we  have  achieved  through 
immense  difficulties  should  be  preserved ; after 
that  the  peace  regained  should  be  cherished ; that 
the  dissevered  Union,  now  happily  restored, 
should  be  perpetuated,  and  that  the  liberty  secured 
to  this  generation  should  be  transmitted  undimin- 
ished to  future  generations ; that  the  order  estab- 
lished and  the  credit  acquired  should  never  be 
impaired ; that  the  pensions  promised  should  be 
extinguished  by  the  full  payment  of  every  dollar 
thereof ; that  the  reviving  industries  should  be 
further  promoted,  and  that  the  commerce,  already 
so  great,  should  be  steadily  encouraged. 

2d.  The  Constitution  of  the  United  States  is  a 
supreme  law  and  not  a mere  contract.  Out  of 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD 


431 


confederated  States  it  made  a sovereign  nation. 
Some  powers  are  denied  to  the  nation,  while 
others  are  denied  to  the  States,  but  the  boundary 
between  the  powers  delegated,  and  those  reserved 
is  to.be  determined  by  the  national  and  not  by  the 
State  tribunals. 

3d.  The  work  of  popular  education  is  left  to  the 
care  of  the  several  States,  but  it  is  the  duty  of  the 
National  Government  to  aid  that  work  to  the  ex- 
tent of  its  Constitutional  duty.  The  intelligence 
of  the  nation  is  but  the  aggregate  of  the  intelli- 
gence of  the  several  States,  and  the  destiny  of 
the  nation  must  not  be  guided  by  the  genius  of 
any  one  State,  but  by  the  average  genius  of  all. 

4th.  The  Constitution  wisely  forbids  Congress 
to  make  any  law  respecting  an  establishment  of 
religion,  but  it  is  idle  to  hope  that  the  nation  can 
be  protected  against  the  influence  of  sectarianism, 
while  each  State  is  exposed  to  its  domination. 
We,  therefore,  recommend  that  the  Constitution 
be  so  amended  as  to  lay  the  same  prohibition 
upon  the  Legislature  of  each  State  and  to  forbid 
the  appropriation  of  public  funds  to  the  support 
of  sectarian  schools. 

5th.  We  affirm  the  belief,  avowed  in  1876,  that 
the  duties  levied  for  the  purpose  of  revenue  should 
so  discriminate  as  to  favor  American  labor.  That 
no  further  grant  of  the  public  domain  should  be 
made  to  any  railway  or  other  corporation  ; that 
slavery  having  perished  in  the  States,  its  twin  bar- 


432 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


barity,  polygamy,  must  die  in  the  Territories. 
That  everywhere  the  protection  accorded  to  citi- 
zens of  American  birth  must  be  secured  to  citizens 
by  American  adoption,  and  that  we  esteem  it  the 
duty  of  Congress  to  develop  and  improve  our 
water-courses  and  harbors,  but  insist  that  further 
subsidies  to  private  persons  or  corporations  must 
cease ; that  the  obligations  of  the  Republic  to  the 
men  who  preserved  its  integrity  in  the  hour  of 
battle  are  undiminished  by  the  lapse  of  fifteen 
years  since  their  final  victory ; to  do  them  per- 
petual honor  is  and  shall  forever  be  the  grateful 
privilege  and  sacred  duty  of  the  American  people. 

6th.  Since  the  authority  to  regulate  immigra- 
tion and  intercourse  between  the  United  States 
and  foreign  nations  rests  with  Congress,  or  with 
the  United  States  and  its  treaty-making  power, 
the  Republican  party,  regarding  the  unrestricted 
emigration  of  Chinese  as  an  evil  of  great  magni- 
tude, invoke  the  exercise  of  those  powers  to  re- 
strain and  limit  that  immigration  by  the  enact- 
ment of  such  just,  humane  and  reasonable  provi- 
sions as  will  produce  that  result. 

7th.  That  the  purity  and  patriotism  which 
characterize  the  earlier  career  of  Rutherford  B. 
Hayes  in  peace  and  war  and  which  guided  the 
thoughts  of  our  immediate  predecessors  to  him  for 
a Presidential  candidate  have  continued  to  inspire 
him  in  his  career  as  Chief  Executive,  and  that  his- 
tory will  accord  to  his  administration  the  honors 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


433 


which  are  due  to  an  efficient,  just  and  courteous 
discharge  of  the  public  business,  and  will  honor 
his  interpositions  between  the  people  and  the  pro- 
posed partisan  laws. 

8th.  We  charge  upon  the  Democratic  party 
the  habitual  sacrifice  of  patriotism  and  justice  to  a 
supreme  and  insatiable  lust  of  office  and  patron- 
age; that  to  obtain  possession  of  the  National 
and  State  Governments  and  the  control  of  place 
and  position  they  have  obstructed  all  effort  to  pro- 
mote the  purity  and  to  conserve  the  freedom  of 
suffrage,  and  have  devised  fraudulent  certifications 
and  returns,  have  labored  to  unseat  lawfully 
elected  members  of  Congress  to  secure  at  all 
hazards  the  vote  of  a majority  of  the  States  in  the 
House  of  Representatives  ; have  endeavored  to 
occupy  by  force  and  fraud  the  places  of  trust 
given  to  others  by  the  people  of  Maine  and  res- 
cued by  the  courage  in  action  of  Maine’s  patriotic 
sons ; have  by  methods  vicious  in  principle  and 
tyrannical  in  practice  attached  partisan  legislation 
to  bills  upon  whose  passage  the  very  movements 
of  government  depend ; have  crushed  the  rights 
of  individuals,  have  advocated  the  principle  and 
sought  the  favor  of  rebellion  against  the  nation 
and  have  endeavored  to  obliterate  the  sacred 
memories  of  the  war  and  to  overcome  its  inesti- 
mable valuable  results  of  nationality,  personal 
freedom  and  individual  equality.  The  equal, 
steady  and  complete  enforcement  of  laws  and  the 


434 


LIFE  AND' PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


protection  of  all  our  citizens  in  the  enjoyment  of 
all  privileges  and  communities  guaranteed  by  the 
Constitution  are  the  first  duties  of  the  nation. 
The  dangers  of  a solid  South  can  only  be  averted 
by  a faithful  performance  of  every  promise  which 
the  nation  has  made  to  the  citizens  ; the  execution 
of  the  laws  and  the  punishment  of  all  those  who 
violate  them  are  the  only  safe  methods  by  which 
an  enduring  peace  can  be  secured  and  genuine 
prosperity  established  throughout  the  South. 
Whatever  promises  the  nation  makes  the  nation 
must  perform,  and  the  nation  cannot  with  safety 
delegate  this  duty  to  the  States.  The  solid  South 
must  be  divided  by  the  powerful  agencies  of  the 
ballot,  and  all  opinions  must  there  find  free  ex- 
pression, and  to  this  end  the  honest  voters  must 
be  protected  against  terrorism,  violence  or  fraud, 
and  we  affirm  it  to  be  the  duty  and  the  purpose 
of  the  Republican  party  to  use  every  legitimate 
means  to  restore  all  the  States  of  this  Union  to 
the  most  perfect  harmony  as  may  be  practicable ; 
and  we  submit  to  the  practical,  sensible  people  of 
the  United  States  to  say  whether  it  would  not  be 
dangerous  to  the  dearest  interests  of  our  country 
at  this  time  to  surrender  the  administration  of  the 
National  Government  to  a party  which  seeks  to 
overthrow  the  existing  policy  under  which  we 
are  so  prosperous,  and  thus  bring  distrust  and 
confusion  where  there  is  now  order,  confidence 
and  hope. 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


435 


The  following  resolution  was  appended : 

The  Republican  party,  adhering  to  the  principles  affirmed 
by  its  last  National  Convention  of  respect  for  the  Constitu- 
tional rules  governing  appointment  to  office,  adopts  the  de- 
claration of  President  Hayes  that  the  reform  in  the  civil  service 
shall  be  thorough,  radical  and  complete.  To  that  end  it  de- 
mands the  co-operation  of  the  Legislature  with  the  Executive 
Departments  of  the  Government,  and  that  Congress  shall  so 
legislate  that  fitness,  ascertained  by  proper  practical  tests, 
shall  admit  to  the  public  service. 

The  reading  was  frequently  interrupted  by 
applause  and  cheers,  and  at  its  conclusion,  Mr. 
Barker,  of  Massachusetts,  moved  to  amend  by 
adding  the  following : 

o 

The  Republican  party,  adhering  to  the  principles  affirmed 
by  its  last  National  Convention  of  respect  for  the  Constitu- 
tional rules  governing  appointment  to  office,  adopts  the  de- 
claration of  President  Hayes  that  the  reform  in  the  civil  service 
shall  be  thorough,  radical  and  complete.  To  that  end  it  de- 
mands the  co-operation  of  the  Legislative  with  the  Executive 
Departments  of  the  Government,  and  that  Congress  shall 
so  legislate  that  fitness,  ascertained  by  proper  practical  tests, 
shall  admit  to  the  public  service.  That  the  tenure  of  admin- 
istrative offices,  except  those  through  which  the  distinctive 
policy  of  the  party  in  power  shall  be  carried  out,  shall  be  per- 
manent during  good  behavior,  and  that  the  power  of  removal 
for  cause,  with  the  responsibility  for  the  good  conduct  of  sub- 
ordinates, shall  accompany  the  power  of  appointment. 

This  precipitated  a debate  upon  the  question  of 
civil  service,  in  which  nothing  of  particular  mo- 
ment was  uttered.  Mr.  Barker’s  amendment 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


1-3  6 

was  eventually  adopted,  then  the  resolution,  as 
amended,  which  omits  the  tenure  of  office  clause, 
and  otherwise  leaves  it  as  introduced,  was  adopted, 
and  the  convention,  on  motion  of  Mr.  Creswell, 
took  a recess  until  seven  P.  M. 

The  evening  session  was  particularly  crowded, 
as  nothing  now  remained  but  to  get  the  nomina- 
tions made,  and  then  to  ballot.  The  spectators 
were  full  of  the  intensest  enthusiasm,  and  the 
crowd  without  lived  upon  every  echo  that  came 
from  the  convention  hall.  As  soon  as  the  dele- 
gates were  ready,  the  chairman  read  a communi- 
cation from  Mr.  James  P.  Root,  calling  attention 
to  the  historical  associations  connected  with  the 
gavel  used  by  the  presiding  officer  of  the  conven- 
tion. Its  head  was  made  from  a piece  of  wood 
grown  at  the  home  of  Abraham  Lincoln,  and  the 
handle  from  a cane  grown  on  the  Mount  Vernon 
estate,  the  home  of  Washington.  It  was  pre- 
sented to  the  chair  as  a memento  of  the  most  re- 
markable convention  ever  held  in  the  history  of 
the  Republican  party. 

After  this  incident  the  battle  was  renewed.  Mr. 
Hale  moved  that  the  roll  of  States  be  called,  for 
the  announcement  of  names  of  members  of  the 
Republican  National  Committee.  The  roll  was 
called  and  Alabama  named  Paul  J.  Stoback  ; Ar- 
kansas, W.  Dorsey;  California,  Horace  Davis; 
Colorado,  John  L,  Routt;  Connecticut,  Marshall 
Jewell;  Delaware,  Christian  Febiger;  Florida, 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


4 37 


William  W.  Hicks;  Georgia,  James  B.  Deveaux; 
Illinois,  John  A.  Logan;  Indiana,  John  C.  New; 
Iowa,  John  S.  Runnelly;  Kansas,  John  A.  Mar- 
tin ; Kentucky,  W.  O.  Bradley ; Louisiana,  W.  C. 
War  mouth ; Maine,  William  T.  Frye  ; Maryland, 
James  A.  Cary;  Massachusetts,  John  M.  Forbes; 
Michigan,  James  H.  Stone  ; Minnesota,  D.  M.  Sa- 
bin ; Mississippi,  George  McKee ; Missouri,  C.  J. 
Tilley;  Nebraska,  James  W.  Dawes;  Nevada, 
John  W.  Mackey;  New  Hampshire,  W.  E. 
Chandler;  New  Jersey,  George  A.  Halsey  ; New 
York,  Thomas  C.  Platt;  North  Carolina,  W.  P. 
Canady ; Ohio,  W.  C.  Cooper ; Oregon,  D.  C. 
Ireland ; Pennsylvania,  J.  D.  Cameron ; Rhode 
Island,  W.  0.  Pierce ; South  Carolina,  Samuel 
Lee ; Tennessee,  William  Rule ; Texas,  not 
ready;  Vermont,  George  W.  Hookei  . Virginia, 
Samuel  W.  Jones;  West  Virginia,  John  W. 
Mason  ; Wisconsin,  Elihu  Enos  ; Arizona,  R.  C. 
McCormick  ; Dakota,  unable  to  agree ; District 
of  Columbia,  not  ready;  Idaho,  George  L.  Shoup; 
Montana,  A.  H.  Beatty;  New  Mexico,  S.  T.  El- 
kin; Utah,  W.  Bennett;  Washington,  S.  T.  Mi- 
ner; Wyoming,  Joseph  L.  Cary. 

As  the  two  delegates  from  Dakota  were  unable 
to  agree,  Mr.  Conger  moved  that  the  National 
Committee  should  fill  the  vacancy. 

Mr.  Conkling  objected. 

The  chair  ruled  the  motion  in  order,  and  it  was 
adopted. 


438 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


Mr.  Drake  (Minnesota)offered  the  following: 

Resolved,  That  in  case  of  the  death  or  resignation  of  a 
member  of  the  National  Central  Committee,  the  vacancy 
may  be  filled  by  appointment  by  the  Central  Committee  of 
the  State,  territory  or  district.  Adopted. 

The  most  interesting  work  of  the  convention 
was  now  close  at  hand.  The  ball  was  opened  by 
Eugene  Hale,  who  moved  a call  of  States  for  the 
purpose  of  placing  the  various  candidates  in  nomi- 
nation. Ten  minutes  was  allowed  for  each  nomi- 
nation, and  five  minutes  to  the  seconder.  The 
roll  was  then  called. 

When  Michigan  was  reached,  James  F.  Joy  took 
the  platform,  and  said: 

“Mr.  Chairman:  I shall  never  cease  to  regret 
the  circu  r stances  under  which  the  duty  is  imposed 
on  me  to  make  the  nomination  of  a candidate  in 
this  convention.  I have  been  absent  from  the 
country  for  months.  Since  the  convention  has 
been  in  session  I have  been  continuously  employed 
on  the  floor.  If,  therefore,  words  of  mine  are  im- 
portant for  the  candidate  who  shall  be  proposed 
mine  will  benefit  us  not  a little.  I shall,  however, 
brinof  him  before  the  convention  in  as  brief  a man- 
ner  as  possible.  It  was  in  i860,  I think,  that  a 
young  man,  born  in  the  old  Keystone  State,  but 
resident  in  the  State  of  Maine,  entered  the  House 
of  Representatives.  That  was  a time  when  the 
her -on  was  darkened  with  clouds  indicating  a 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


439 


coming  tempest.  It  was  just  before  the  war;  the 
clouds  burst  over  the  country,  and  the  war  ensued 
and  raged  for  four  long  years.  Fortunately  for 
us  there  were  at  the  helm  of  the  ship  of  State  the 
right  men,  and  it  was  manned  with  the  right  crew. 
Finally  the  strength  of  one  of  the  contending  par- 
ties gave  way,  and  peace  at  last  settled  down  on 
the  country.  Then  ensued  the  contest  for  recon- 
struction, and  that  occupied  four  years  more. 
During  all  that  period  of  time  that  young  man — 
always  true,  always  braver  always  eloquent — ap- 
plied his  talents  in  every  way  necessary  either  to 
carry  on  the  war  or  to  bring  about  reconstruction 
on  a proper  basis.  His  reputation  grew  and  tow- 
ered all  that  time,  until  at  last,  when  reconstruc- 
tion had  been  practically  secured,  he  stood  high 
before  the  country,  and  his  name  became  a house- 
hold word,  familiar  in  every  corner  of  the  land  and 
looked  up  to  from  all  quarters.  That  name  was 
the  name  of  James  G.  Blaine.  [Cheers,  applause 
and  waving  of  hats  and  handkerchiefs.]  When 
the  nomination  of  General  Grant  was  made,  all 
eyes  in  the  northern  section  of  the  country  were 
turned  on  James  G.  Blaine,  and  he  canvassed  the 
country  from  the  Mississippi  and  beyond  for  that 
candidate,  so  that  the  people  of  the  North  and  of 
the  great  W est  became  familiar  with  him.  He  had 
about  him  that  wonderful  power  of  attracting  men 
which  another  great  man — Henry  Clay,  of  Ken- 
tucky— possessed  in  an  equally  eminent  degree. 

26 


44° 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


“ On  the  second  nomination  of  General  Grant, 
Mr.  Blaine  was  again  called  upon,  and  he  again 
traversed  the  country,  exercising  his  eloquence 
and  powers.  He  had  become  so  well  known  to 
the  people  that  when  the  last  Republican  Conven- 
tion was  held  at  Cincinnati,  four  years  ago,  he  had 
become  the  leading  candidate  of  the  Northern 
people  for  the  Presidency.  He  was  the  favorite 
candidate  of  the  State  which  I represented  in  that 
convention.  The  deleg-ates  from  Michigan  went 
there  with  a view  of'urging  and  securing,  if  possi- 
ble, his  nomination,  and  he  came  within  a few 
votes  of  getting  it.  But  for  some  reason  the 
nomination  of  another  candidate,  who  had  been 
before  the  country — you  all  know,  perhaps,  the 
astonishment  created  in  some  sections  of  the 
country  at  that  result  and  in  the  State  which  I 
have  the  honor  to  represent  here — was  considered 
almost  a calamity  to  the  individual  members  of 
the  Republican  pa-rty  of  that  day;  they  felt  it  al- 
most as  a personal  blow.  But  while  he  may  have 
been  disappointed,  still  when  the  canvass  came  on, 
and  when  it  was  doubtful  whether  the  Republicans 
would  succeed  in  electing  their  candidate,  he,  al- 
though he  had  been  repudiated  in  that  conven- 
tion, buckled  on  his  harness,  entered  the  tracks 
and  again  traversed  the  country,  fighting  man- 
fully, gloriously,  vigorously,  until  the  battle  was 
won.”  [Applause.] 

The  chairman  announced  that  the  speaker’s 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


44 1 

time  had  expired,  but,  on  motion  of  Mr.  Garfield, 
his  time  was  extended. 

Mr.  Joy,  resuming:  “The  result  was  that  he 
endeared  himself  to  the  Republicans  of  the  North- 
west even  more  than  before,  and  when  this  con- 
vention was  called,  the  people  of  Michigan,  who 
so  earnestly  advocated  him  before,  again  turned 
their  gaze  toward  him.  Michigan  is  not  a doubt- 
ful State.  It  is  a State  which  stands  by  its  ban- 
ner; that  no  matter  who  may  be  nominated  in 
this  convention  Michigan  will  stand  by  the  Repub- 
lican banner  whoever  may  be  in  the  van.  With 
these  remarks  I have  the  honor  to  present  to  this 
convention,  as  a candidate  for  the  Presidency,  the 
name  of  James  G.  Blaine.” 

This  was  the  siynal  for  a wild  scene  of  confu- 
sion  and  excitement,  the  larger  half  of  the  audi- 
ence and  all  the  Blaine  delegates  rising  and 
cheering  vociferously,  and  waving  flags,  hats,  fans, 
umbrellas,  anything  obtainable,  in  the  most  frantic 
fashion.  After  order  was  somewhat  restored, 
Mr.  Pixley,  of  California,  seconded  Mr.  Blaine’s 
name  in  a speech  of  considerable  length.  Its  close 
was  the  signal  for  another  outburst  of  cheers. 
Mr.  Frye  followed  in  an  electric  speech  of  ten 
minutes,  which  set  the  galleries  wild  again. 

Minnesota  being  called,  Mr.  E.  F.  Drake  pre- 
sented the  name  of  Senator  William  Windom. 
There  was  no  seconder. 

When  New  York  was  called,  Mr.  Conkling  rose, 


442 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


mounted  the  reporters’  platform,  took  a position 
on  a reporter’s  table,  and  began  with  great  delib- 
eration in  clear  tones  and  with  his  usual  impres- 
sive manner,  the  nomination  of  General  Grant. 
The  speaker  said: 

“The  need  of  the  hour  was  not-  a candidate  who 
can  carry  States  which  are  surely  Republican,  but 
who  can  carry  doubtful  States,  South  as  well 
as  North.  Grant  could  carry  the  doubtful  State 
of  New  York  and  several  in  the  South.  [Ap- 
plause.] The  calumny  against  him  had  all 
been  exploded;  the  powder  had  already  been 
burned  once  and  left  his  name  untarnished.  When 
those  who  have  tried  to  tarnish  that  name  shall 
have  mouldered  in  forgotten  graves,  General 
Grant’s  fame  will  remain  pure  and  bright  in  the 
hearts  of  the  people.  Never  elated  by  success, 
he  has  manifested  the  very  genius  of  success. 
He  commended  his  civic  policy  in  establishing  in- 
ternational arbitration,  in  opposing  inflation  and 
paving  the  way  for  specie  resumption.  To  him 
unmeasurably  more  than  any  other  is  due  the  fact 
that  every  paper  dollar  is  as  good  as  gold.  With 
him  as  the  leader  we  should  have  no  defensive 
campaign.  [Applause.]  No!  Nothing  to  ex- 
plain away  and  no  apologies  to  make.  The  shafts 
and  arrows  have  all  been  aimed  at  him  and  lie 
broken  at  his  feet.”  [Applause.] 

He  briefly  reviewed  the  third-term  objections  to 
Grant  and  urged  that  it  was  no  objection  to  any  man 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


443 


that  he  had  been  weighed  in  the  balance  and  not 
found  wanting  or  that  he  had  obtained  experience 
which  rendered  him  better  fitted  for  the  duties  con- 
fided to  his  care.  When  he  had  occupied  thirty 
minutes  there  were  loud  calls  from  the  galleries  of 
“ Time!  Time!”  but  he  paid  no  attention  to  them  and 
was  soon  permitted  to  proceed.  A little  later  he  re- 
ferred to  General  Grant  as  being  without  telegraph 
wires  running  from  his  house  to  this  convention, 
which  was  evidently  construed  as  an  insinuation 
against  Mr.  Blaine.  This  was  greeted  with  laugh- 
ter and  a storm  of  hisses  and  loud  cries  of  “Time! 
Time!”  which  continued  until  a delegate  appealed 
to  the  American  people  to  listen  to  the  gentleman, 
who  asked  them  to  hear  him  finish.  He  was  then 
permitted  to  proceed  until  he  referred  to  “elec- 
tioneering contrivances,”  which  excited  another 
outburst  of  objection. 

Mr.  Conkling  said:  “ When  asked  whence  comes 
our  candidate,  we  say  from  Appomattox.  [Ap- 
plause.] Obeying  instructions  I should  never  dare 
to  disregard,  expressing  also  my  own  firm  convic- 
tion, I rise  in  behalf  of  the  State  of  New  York,  to 
propose  a nomination  with  which  the  country  and 
the  Republican  party  can  grandly  win.  The  elec- 
tion before  us  will  be  the  Austerlitz  of  American 
politics.  It  will  decide  whether  for  years  to  come 
the  country  shall  be  ‘Republican  or  Cossack.’  * 

“ The  need  of  the  hour  is  a candidate  who  can 
carry  doubtful  States  North  and  South,  and  be- 


444 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


lieving  that  he  more  surely  than  any  other  can 
carry  New  York  against  any  opponent,  and  can 
carry  not  only  the  North,  but  several  States  of  the 
South,  New  York  is  for  Ulysses  S.  Grant.  He 
alone  of  living  Republicans  has  carried  New  York 
as  a Presidential  candidate.  Once  he  carried  it 
even  according  to  a Democratic  count,  and  twice 
he  carried  it  by  the  people’s  votes,  and  he  is 
stronger  now — the  Republican  party,  with  its 
standard  in  his  hand,  is  stronger  now  than  in  1868 
or  1872.  Never  defeated  in  war  or  in  peace,  his 
name  is  the  most  illustrious  borne  by  any  living 
man ; his  services  attest  his  greatness,  and  the 
country  knows  them  by  heart.  His  fame  was  born 
net  alone  of  things  written  and  said,  but  of  the 
arduous  greatness  of  things  done,  and  dangers  and 
emergencies  will  search  in  vain  in  the  future,  as 
they  have  searched  in  vain  in  the  past,  for  any 
odier  on  whom  the  nation  leans  with  such  confi- 
dence and  trust.  Standing  on  the  highest  emi- 
nence of  human  destination,  and  having  filled  all 
lands  with  his  renown,  modest,  simple  and  self- 
poised,  he  has  seen  not  only  the  titled,  but  the 
poor  and  the  lowly,  in  the  uttermost  ends  of  the 
earth  rise  and  uncover  before  him.  He  has 
studied  the  needs  and  defects  of  many  systems  of 
government,  and  he  comes  back  a better  Ameri- 
can than  ever,  with  a wealth  of  knowledge  and  ex- 
perience added  to  the  hard  common  sense  which  so 
conspicuously  distinguished  him  in  all  the  fierce 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


445 


light  that  beat  upon  him  throughout  the  most  event- 
ful, trying  and  perilous  sixteen  years  of  the  na- 
tion’s history.  Never  having  had  ‘a  policy  to 
enforce  against  the  will  of  the  people/  he  never 
betrayed  a cause  or  a friend,  and  the  people  will 
never  betray  or  desert  him.  Vilified  and  reviled, 
truthlessly  aspersed  by  numberless  persons,  not 
in  other  lands,  but  in  his  own,  the  assaults  upon 
him  have  strengthened  and  seasoned  his  hold  on 
the  public  heart.  The  ammunition  of  calumny  has 
all  been  exploded,  the  powder  has  all  been  burned 
out,  its  force  has  spent  and  Grant’s  name  will 
glitter  as  a bright  and  imperishable  star  in  the 
diadem  of  the  Republic  when  those  who  have  tried 
to  tarnish  it  have  mouldered  in  forgotten  graves, 
and  their  memories  and  epitaphs  have  vanished 
utterly.  Never  elated  by  success,  never  depressed 
by  adversity,  he  has  ever  in  peace,  as  in  war,  shown 
the  very  genius  of  common  sense.  The  terms  he 
prescribed  for  Lee’s  surrender  foreshadowed  the 
wisest  principles  and  prophecies  of  true  recon- 
struction.” 

Toward  the  conclusion,  Mr.  Conkling  said  the 
convention  was  master  of  a supreme  opportunity. 
It  could  make  the  next  President,  and  also  make 
sure  of  his  peaceful  inauguration.  It  could  break 
that  power  which  mildews  the  South.  Democratic 
success  was  a menace  to  order  and  progress, 
which  the  convention  could  overthrow  and  eman- 
cipate a solid  South.  It  could  make  the  Republi- 


446 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


can  army  march  to  certain  victory  with  its  greatest 
marshal  at  its  head. 

It  was  fully  twenty  minutes  before  order  could 
be  restored.  The  Grant  men  in  convention  and 
galleries  took  a regular  jubilee,  and  President 
Hoar  had  to  sit  down  and  let  disorder  tire  itself 
out.  The  Grant  delegation  “ pooled  ” the  flags 
which  marked  their  seats,  marched  round  the  aisles 
and  cheered  and  yelled  as  if  they  were  dwellers 
in  Bedlam,  just  home  after  a long  absence.  Fi- 
nally Mr.  Bradley,  of  Kentucky,  was  allowed  to 
speak,  seconding  Grant’s  name,  but  it  was  as 
nothing  after  Conkling’s  speech. 

When  Ohio  was  called  Mr.  Garfield  rose,  and, 
amid  tremendous  cheering,  advanced  to  the  place 
Mr.  Conkling  had  just  vacated.  When  order  was 
restored,  he  spoke  in  the  following  magnificent 
strain : 

“Mr.  President:  I have  witnessed  the  extraordi- 
nary scenes  of  this  convention  with  deep  solici- 
tude. No  emotion  touches  my  heart  more  quickly 
than  a sentiment  in  honor  of  a great  and  noble 
character.  But,  as  I sat  on  these  seats  and  wit- 
nessed these  demonstrations,  it  seemed  to  me  you 
were  a human  ocean  in  a tempest.  I have  seen 
the  sea  lashed  into  a fury  and  tossed  into  a spray, 
and  its  grandeur  moves  the  soul  of  the  dullest 
man.  But  I remember  that  it  is  not  the  billows, 
but  the  calm  level  of  the  sea  from  which  all 
heights  and  depths  are  measured.  [Applause.] 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


447 


When  the  storm  has  passed  and  the  hour  of  calm 
setdes  on  the  ocean,  when  sunlight  bathes  its 
smooth  surface,  then  the  astronomer  and  surveyor 
takes  the  level  from  which  he  measures  all  terres- 
trial heights  and  depths.  [Applause.]  Gentle- 
men of  the  convention,  your  present  temper  may 
not  mark  the  healthful  pulse  of  our  people. 
When  our  enthusiasm  has  passed,  when  the  emo- 
tions of  this  hour  have  subsided,  we  shall  find  the 
calm  level  of  public  opinion  below  the  storm  from 
which  the  thoughts  of  a mighty  people  are  to  be 
measured,  and  by  which  their  final  action  will  be 
determined.  [Applause.]  Not  here,  in  this  bril- 
liant circle  where  fifteen  thousand  men  and  women 
are  assembled,  is  the  destiny  of  the  Republic  to 
be  decreed  [‘That  is  so’]  ; not  here,  where  I see 
the  enthusiastic  faces  of  seven  hundred  and  fifty- 
six  delegates  waiting  to  cast  their  votes  into  the 
urn  and  determine  the  choice  of  their  party ; 
[applause]  but  by  four  million  Republican  firesides, 
where  the  thoughtful  fathers,  with  wives  and  chil- 
dren about  them,  with  the  calm  thoughts  inspired 
by  love  of  home  and  love  of  country,  with  the 
history  of  the  past,  the  hopes  of  the  future,  and 
the  knowledge  of  the  great  men  who  have  adorned 
and  blessed  our  nation  in  days  gone  by — there 
God  prepares  the  verdict  that  shall  determine  the 
wisdom  of  our  work  to-night.  [Applause.]  Not 
in  Chicago  in  the  heat  of  June,  but  in  the  sober 
quiet  that  comes  between  now  and  November,  in 


448  life  and  public  career  of 

the  silence  of  deliberate  judgment  will  this  great 
question  be  settled.  [Cries  of  ‘Good.’]  Let  us 
aid  them  to-night.  [Great  applause.] 

“But  now,  gentlemen  of  the  convention,  what 
do  we  want?  [A  voice,  ‘Garfield.’]  Bear  with 
me  a moment.  Hear  me  for  this  cause,  and,  for 
a moment,  be  silent  that  you  may  hear.  [Cries 
of ‘Good.’]  Twenty-five  years  ago  this  republic 
was  wearing  a triple  chain  of  bondage.  Long  fa- 
miliarity with  traffic  in  the  bodies  and  souls  of 
men  had  paralyzed  the  consciences  of  a majority 
of  our  people.  The  baleful  doctrine  of  State  sov- 
ereignty had  shocked  and  weakened  the  noblest 
and  most  beneficent  powers  of  the  national  Gov- 
ernment, and  the  grasping  power  of  slavery  was 
seizing  the  virgin  territories  of  the  West  and 
dragging  them  into  the  den  of  eternal  bondage. 

oo  o O 

At  that  crisis  the  Republican  party  was  born.  It 
drew  its  first  inspiration  from  that  fire  of  liberty 
which  God  has  lighted  in  every  man’s  heart,  and 
which  ail  the  powers  of  ignorance  and  tyranny  can 
never  wholly  extinguish.  [Applause.]  The  Re- 
publican party  came  to  deliver  and  save  the  repub- 
lic. It  entered  the  arena  when  the  beleaguered 
and  assailed  territories  were  struggling  for  free- 
dom, and  drew  around  them  the  sacred  circle  of 
liberty  which  the  demon  of  slavery  has  never 
dared  to  cross.  It  made  them  free  forever. 
[Great  applause,  and  cries  of ‘Good.’]  Strength- 
ened by  its  victory  on  the  frontier,  the  young 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


449 


party,  under  the  leadership  of  that  great  man  who, 
on  this  spot,  twenty  years  ago,  was  made  its 
leader,  entered  the  national  capital  and  assumed 
the  high  duties  of  the  government.  [Applause.] 
The  light  which  shone  from  its  banner  dispelled 
the  darkness  in  which  slavery  had  enshrouded  the 
capital,  and  melted  the  shackles  of  every  slave, 
and  consumed,  in  the  fire  of  liberty,  every  slave- 
pen  within  the  shadow  of  the  capitol.  Our  na- 
tional industries,  by  an  impoverishing  policy,  were 
themselves  prostrated,  and  the  streams  of  revenue 
flowed  in  such  feeble  currents  that  the  treasury  it- 
self was  well-nigh  empty.  The  money  of  the 
people  was  the  wretched  notes  of  two  thousand 
uncontrolled  and  irresponsible  State  banking  cor- 
porations, which  were  filling  the  country  with  a 
circulation  that  poisoned  rather  than  sustained  the 
life  of  business.  [Loud  applause.]  The  Repub- 
lican party  changed  all  this.  It  abolished  the 
babel  of  confusion,  and  gave  the  country  a cur- 
rency as  national  as  its  flag,  based  upon  the  sacred 
faith  of  the  people.  [Applause.]  It  threw  its 
protecting  arm  around  our  great  industries,  and 
they  stood  erect  as  with  new  life.  It  filled  with 
the  spirit  of  true  nationality  all  the  great  functions 
of  the  government.  It  confronted  a rebellion  of 
unexampled  magnitude,  with  slavery  behind  it, 
and,  under  God,  fought  the  final  battle  of  liberty 
until  victory  was  won.  [Applause.]  Then,  after 
the  storms  of  battle,  were  heard  the  sweet,  calm 


450 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


words  of  peace  uttered  by  the  conquering  nation, 
and  saying  to  the  conquered  foe  that  lay  prostrate 
at  its  feet : ‘This  is  our  only  revenge,  that  you  join 
us  in  lifting  to  the  serene  firmament  of  the  Consti- 
tution, to  shine  like  stars  for  ever  and  ever,  the 
immortal  principles  of  truth  and  justice,  that  all 
men,  white  or  black,  shall  be  free  and  stand  equal 
before  the  law.’  [Loud  applause.] 

“Then  came  the  question  of  reconstruction,  the 
public  debt,  and  the  public  faith.  In  the  settle- 
ment of  the  questions  the  Republican  party  has 
completed  its  twenty-five  years  of  glorious  exist- 
ence, and  it  has  sent  us  here  to  prepare  it  for 
another  lustrum  of  duty  and  of  victory.  How  shall 
we  do  this  great  work?  We  cannot  do  it,  my 
friends,  by  assailing  our  Republican  brethren. 
[Great  applause  and  cries  of  * Good.’]  God  for- 
bid that  I should  say  one  word  to  cast  a shadow 
upon  any  name  on  the  roll  of  our  heroes.  This 
coming  fight  is  our  Thermopylae.  We  are 
standing  upon  a narrow  isthmus.  If  our  Spartan 
hosts  are  united,  we  can  withstand  all  the  Persians 
that  the  Xerxes  of  Democracy  can  bring  against 
us.  Let  us  hold  our  ground  this  one  year,  for  the 
stars  in  their  courses  fiofht  for  us  in  the  future. 
The  census  taken  this  year  will  bring  re-enforce- 
ments  and  continued  power.  [Applause.]  But 
in  order  to  win  this  victory  now,  we  want  the  vote 
of  every  Republican,  of  every  Grant  Republican 
and  every  anti-Grant  Republican  in  America 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


451 


[great  applause],  of  every  Blaine  man  and  every 
anti-Blaine  man.  The  vote  of  every  follower  of 
every  candidate  is  needed  to  make  our  success 
certain  [applause];  therefore,  I say,  gentlemen 
and  brethren,  we  are  here  to  take  calm  counsel 
together,  and  inquire  what  we  shall  do.  [A  voice 
‘ Nominate  Garfield.’  Great  applause.]  We  want 
a man  whose  life  and  opinions  embody  all  the 
achievements  of  which  I have  spoken.  We  want 
a man  who,  standing  on  a mountain  height,  sees 
all  the  achievements  of  our  past  history,  and  car- 
ries in  his  heart  the  memory  of  all  its  glorious 
deeds,  and  who,  looking  forward,  prepares  to  meet 
the  labor  and  the  dangers  to  come.  We  want 

o 

one  who  will  act  in  no  spirit  of  unkindness  to- 
ward those  we  lately  met  in  battle.  The  Repub- 
lican party  offers  to  our  brethren  of  the  South  the 
olive  branch  of  peace,  and  wishes  them  to  return 
to  brotherhood,  on  this  supreme  condition,  that  it 
shall  be  admitted  forever  and  forevermore,  that, 
in  the  war  for  the  Union,  we  were  right  and  they 
were  wrong.  [Cheers.]  On  that  supreme  con- 
dition we  meet  them  as  brethren,  and  on  no  other. 
We  ask  them  to  share  with  us  the  blessings  and 
honors  of  this  great  republic.  [Applause.] 

“Now,  gentlemen,  not  to  weary  you,  I am  about 
to  present  a name  for  your  consideration — the 
name  of  a man  who  was  the  comrade  and  associ- 
ate and  friend  of  nearly  all  those  noble  dead 
whose  faces  look,  down  upon  us  from  these  walls 


452 


LIFE  AND  PUB  LIS  CAREER  OF 


to-night  [cheers],  a man  who  began  his  career  of 
public  service  twenty-five  years  ago,  whose  first 
duty  was  courageously  done  in  the  days  of  peril 
on  the  plains  of  Kansas,  when  the  first  red  drops 
of  that  bloody  shower  began  to  fall  which  finally 
swelled  into  the  deluge  of  war.  [Cheers.]  He 
bravely  stood  by  young  Kansas  then,  and,  return- 
ing to  his  duty  in  the  National  Legislature, 
through  all  subsequent  time  his  pathway  has  been 
marked  by  labors  performed  in  every  department 
of  legislation.  Yom  ask  for  his  monuments.  I 
point  you  to  twenty-five  years  of  national  statutes. 
[Cheers.]  Not  one  great  beneficent  statute  has 
been  placed  in  our  statute  books  without  his  in- 
telligent and  powerful  aid.  [Cheers.]  He  aided 
these  men  to  formulate  the  laws  that  raised  our 
great  armies  and  carried  us  through  the  war. 
His  hand  was  seen  in  the  workmanship  of  those 
statutes  that  restored  and  brought  back  the  unity 
and  married  calm  of  the  States.  His  hand  was 
in  all  that  great  legislation  that  created  the  war 
currency,  and  in  a still  greater  work  that  redeemed 
the  promises  of  the  Government,  and  made  the 
currency  equal  to  gold.  And  when  at  last  called 
from  the  halls  of  legislation  into  a high  executive 
office,  he  displayed  that  experience,  intelligence, 
firmness  and  poise  of  character  which  has  carried 
us  through  a stormy  period  of  three  years.  With 
one-half  the  public  press  crying  ‘crucify  him,’  and 
a hostile  Congress  seeking  to  prevent  success,  in 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD, 


453 


all  this  he  remained  unmoved  until  victory  crowned 
him.  [Applause.]  The  great  fiscal  affairs  of 
the  nation,  and  the  great  business  interests 
of  the  country  he  has  guarded  and  pre- 
served, while  executing  the  law  of  resumption 
and  effecting  its  object  without  ajar  and  against 
the  false  prophecies  of  one-half  of  the  press  and 
all  the  Democracy  of  this  continent.  [Applause.] 
He  has  shown  himself  able  to  meet  with  calmness 
the  great  emergencies  of  the  Government  for 
twenty-five  years.  He  has  trodden  the  perilous 
heights  of  public  duty,  and  against  all  the  shafts 
of  malice  has  borne  his  breast  unharmed.  He 
has  stood  in  the  blaze  of  ‘that  fierce  lHht  that 

o 

beats  against  the  throne,’  but  its  fiercest  ray  has 
found  no  flaw  in  his  armor,  no  stain  on  his  shield. 
I do  not  present  him  as  a better  Republican  or 
as  a better  man  than  thousands  of  others  we 
honor,  but  I present  him  for  your  deliberate  con- 
sideration. I nominate  John  Sherman,  of  Ohio.” 
[Great  applause.] 

Of  this  masterly  effort,  the  Chicago  Inter-  Ocean , 
a strong  Grant  paper,  said  the  following  morning: 

“ When  Ohio  is  called,  a form — which  probably 
comes  nearer  the  people’s  ideal  type  of  a statesman 
than 'any  other  in  the  convention — arises  near  the 
centre  of  the  middle  aisle  and  moves  toward  the 
stage  amid  the  sharp  clapping  of  thousands  of 
hands,  which  increases,  as  General  Garfield  mounts 
the  same  table  upon  which  Senator  Conkling 


454 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


stood,  to  a roar  of  voices  mingled  with  the  noise 
of  stamping  feet.  It  is  noticeable  that  in  this  ova- 
tion a large  number  of  delegates  and  alternates 
have  joined.  To  the  attention  which  Garfield 
always  attracts  is  now  added  the  romance  of  a 
possibility  that  is  in  every  one’s  mind,  and  when- 
ever he  has  moved  into  sight  of  the  galleries 
during  this  convention,  he  has  been  warmly 
greeted.  As  he  stands  now  on  the  table  where 
Conkling  but  a few  moments  ago  stood,  many 
thousands  are  doubtless  comparing  the  two  men 
who,  among  many  great  men,  have  almost  mo- 
nopolized and  about  equally  shared  the  attention 
of  the  people.  There  is  much  of  similarity,  and, 
at  the  same  time,  great  dissimilarity  between  the 
two  men.  Both  are  large  in  stature,  and  both 
would  be  noted,  if  strangers,  among  thousands  as 
remarkable  types  of  physical  development.  The 
verdict  of  the  great  majority  would  be  probably 
that  Garfield  looks  more  like  the  statesman  than 
the  New  York  senator.  There  is  a grace  and 
eloquence  in  the  person  and  manners  of  Conkling 
that  approaches  too  near  airiness  to  be  always 
strong  in  its  effect,  but  the  figure  we  now  see  be- 
fore us  is  rough-hewn  in  form  and  rugged  of  fea- 
ture.  The  verdict  of  the  ladies  in  the  gallery, 
many  times  during  the  convention,  is  that  Conk- 
ling is  ‘so  handsome,’  and  Garfield  ‘so  plain.’ 
But  the  Ohio  school-teacher,  minister,  legislator 
and  statesman,  is  not  plain-looking.  To  the 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


455 


beauty  of  great  strength  is  added  the  grace  with 
which  an  illustrious  and  radiant  renown  will  clothe 
any  man.  Large  of  form,  with  a huge  head,  the 
figure  fixed  like  a rock  on  that  table,  while  the 
building  trembles  with  applause,  is  imposing,  peer- 
less and  grand.  To  all  of  this,  Garfield’s  nature 
adds  a charm  possessed  by  few  men — the  beauty 
of  a generous  and  affectionate  nature.  A big 
heart,  a sympathetic  nature,  and  a mind  keenly 
sensitive  to  everything  that  is  beautiful  in  senti- 
ment, are  the  artists  that  shade  down  the  gnarled 
outlines  and  touch  with  soft  coloring  the  plain  fea- 
tures of  a massive  face.  The  conception  of  a 
grand  thought  always  paints  a glow  upon  Gar- 
field’s face,  which  no  one  forgets  who  has  seen 
him  while  speaking.  His  eyes  are  a cold  gray, 
but  they  are  often — yes,  all  the  time  in  this 
speech — lit  brilliantly  by  the  warm  light  of  worthy 
sentiments,  and  the  strong  flame  of  a great  man’s 
conviction.  In  speaking,  he  is  not  so  restless  as 
Conkling;  his  speech  is  an  appeal  for  thought 
and  calm  deliberation,  and  he  stands  still  like  the 
rock  of  judgment  while  he  delivers  it.  There  is 
no  invective  or  bitterness  in  his  effort,  but  there 
is  throughout  an  earnestness  of  conviction  and  an 
unquestionable  air  of  sincerity,  to  which  every 
gesture  and  intonation  of  voice  is  especially 
adapted.” 

Whitelaw  Reid  telegraphed  to  the  New  York 
Tribune  his  opinion  of  this  effort : “ It  seems  to  be 

2 7 


456 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


the  verdict  of  the  majority  that  General  Garfield 
won  the  laurels  of  the  night,  as  indeed  he  has  of 
the  convention  thus  far.  Mr.  Frye’s  speech, 
though  eloquent,  was  delivered  without  any  pre- 
paration whatever.  General  Garfield’s  speech 
was  admirably  adapted  to  make  votes  for  his 
candidate,  if  speeches  ever  made  votes.  It  was 
courteous,  conciliatory  and  prudent.  General 
Garfield  honestly  did  his  best  for  Secretary  Sher- 
man, and  yet  the  general  is  so  popular  here  that 
the  chief  effect  of  his  speech  has  been  to  increase 
the  talk  and  speculation  as  to  the  possibility  of 
his  being  made  the  nominee  if  the  situation  were 
different.” 

The  Chicago  Journal  said  editorially : “ The 

supreme  orator  of  the  evening  was  General  Gar- 
field. He  is  a man  of  superb  power  and  noble 
character.  The  name  of  John  Sherman  could  not 
have  been  better  presented.  His  claims  upon  the 
good  opinion  of  the  American  people — and  they 
are  very  great — were  urged  in  a way  worthy  the 
occasion.  He  indulged  in  no  fling  at  others.  It 
was  a model  speech  in  temper  and  tone.  The  im- 
pression made  was  powerful  and  altogether  whole- 
some. Many  felt  that  if  Ohio  had  offered  Garfield 
instead  of  Sherman,  she  would  have  been  more 
likely  to  win.” 

Sherman’s  nomination  was  seconded  by  Winkler, 
of  Wisconsin,  and  Eliott  (colored),  of  South  Caro- 
lina. Vermont  being  called,  Mr.  Billings  rose  to 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


457 


put  in  nomination  Senator  Edmunds,  and  said  that 
no  State  could  have  a better  right  to  name  a Re- 
publican candidate  and  none  could  name  a better 
man.  Republicanism  runs  in  Vermont’s  blood. 
The  man  whom  she  named  for  the  Presidency  was 
no  longer  hers — he  was  the  property  and  pride  of 
the  nation.  Vermont  looked  forward  through  the 
years  and  saw  the  ignominy  and  crime  of  giving 
up  the  Government  to  a revolutionary  Democracy, 
and  she  implored  this  convention  to  let  nothing 
put  the  Republican  victory  in  peril,  but  to  make 
that  victory  secure  by  putting  on  the  platform  a 
candidate  far  better  even  than  the  platform — a 
candidate  weak  nowhere,  but  strong  everywhere 
— the  incarnation  of  the  principles  of  that  platform. 
Any  other  course  foreboded  disaster  and  courted 
defeat.  Such  a candidate  as  was  needed  was  that 
brave,  keen,  vigilant  man  on  whom  rested  no 
shadow  of  evil  report,  the  leader  of  the  Senate, 
George  F.  Edmunds.  [Cheers  and  applause.] 
Vermont  nominated  him  for  the  Presidency,  and 
asked  the  convention  to  accept  him.  [Applause.] 
The  nomination  was  seconded  by  Mr.  Sanford,  of 
Massachusetts. 

Mr.  Cassidy,  of  Wisconsin,  then  presented  the 
name  of  Elihu  B.  Washburne,  of  Illinois,  who  was 
seconded  by  Mr.  Brandagee,  of  Connecticut. 

All  the  nominees  being  now  named,  and  as  it 
was  within  a few  minutes  of  Sunday  morning,  the 
convention  adjourned  until  Monday  morning. 


458 


LIFE  AND  FUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


Half  an  hour  later  the  great  hall,  that  had  re- 
sounded to  the  thunders  of  oratory,  was  empty 
and  silent  as  the  great  men’s  portraits  on  the 
walls. 


jAMES  A.  GARFIELD , 


459 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 


A DAY  OF  DOUBT. 


UNDAY  at  Chicago  was  passed  in  feverish 


marches  and  counter-marches,  combina- 


v — ' tions,  plots,  arguments,  speeches,  dining 
and  wininof,  rest  for  some  and  church  for  a few. 
Every  nerve  was  strained  to  correct  badly-con- 
structed lines,  to  strengthen  wavering  delegates 
to  capture  new  ones  and  to  repair  every  weak 
spot  in  the  chain  of  defenses.  This,  of  course, 
lent  to  the  work  of  Monday  only  a problematical 
outcome.  No  one  could  say  exactly  just  what 
would  happen,  or  predict,  with  the  same  reasona- 
ble certainty  possible  to  the  prophets  on  Friday 
night.  Every  one  waited  and  hoped. 

One  of  the  clever  correspondents  at  the  con- 
vention, described  the  opening  services  of  Mon- 
day morning  in  his  special : 

“The  sun  rose  in  a cloudless  sky  this  morning, 
and  a gentle,  cool  breeze  from  the  lake  promised 
a charming  day  for  the  great  conflict.  There  was 
active  stir  in  all  the  camps  at  an  early  hour,  and 
spirited  skirmishing  began  with  cocktails  and  ex- 
tended throughout  the  halls,  corridors,  breakfast- 
rooms  and  street  corners.  The  crowd  had  been 


460 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


considerably  thinned  out  since  Saturday  night. 
Many  of  the  most  boisterous  elements,  who  were 
too  expensive  as  strikers  to  be  continued  on  duty 
indefinitely,  had  dropped  out  of  the  battle ; but 
the  effective  soldiery  of  all  sides  remained,  and 
the  rank  and  file  seemed  more  impatient  than  the 
leaders  for  the  struggle.  The  hour  of  meeting 
was  the  earliest  that  could  be  named,  but  most  of 
the  crowd  and  many  delegates  were  clamoring  at 
the  barred  doors  long  before.  There  was  not 
that  effervescence  of  wild  expectation  that  was 
displayed  when  the  same  people  first  crowded  into 
Exposition  Hall  on  Wednesday  morning.  Their 
faces  were  freshened  by  rest,  but  they  had  been 
sobered  by  the  realities  of  the  contest  and  the 
gravity  of  its  hue.  When  they  first  came  to  en- 
compass the  convention  and  its  multitude  of 
witnesses,  they  were  ardent  and  reckless  as  en- 
thusiastic volunteers  who  expected  a harmless 
brush  with  the  enemy  and  an  easy  victory.  To- 
day they  wore  the  calmer  and  disciplined  marks 
of  veterans.  It  was  plainly  told  on  every  face 
that  the  battle  must  be  desperate,  and  none  felt 
entirely  assured  of  triumph.  When  the  doors 
were  opened  hurried  streams  of  humanity  poured 
in  at  every  entrance,  and  when  the  hour  arrived 
for  President  Hoar  to  swing  his  gavel,  all  the 
portions  of  the  hall  within  possible  hearing  of 
the  proceedings  were  jammed  to  the  uttermost. 
Even  the  reserved  platform  of  the  correspondents 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


461 

was  invaded  by  the  crowd,  until  communication 
with  the  hundred  batteries  which  maintained  their 
ceaseless  clicking  hard  by  was  almost  entirely 
interrupted.  The  ladies  gave  their  wealth  of 
smiles  upon  the  conflict  of  the  political  giants  in 
greater  profusion  than  at  any  previous  session, 
and  the  distinguished  guests  were  wedg-ed  in 
upon  each  other  as  if  they  were  no  more  than 
common  flesh  and  blood. 

“Hoar  came  in  ahead  of  time,  and  looked  serene 
as  a summer  morning  that  welcomed  him  to  his 
task,  and  his  face  was  fresh  as  the  roses  which 
shed  their  exquisite  tints  and  fragrance  on  his 
table.  He  has  borne  himself  so  well,  so  impar- 
tially, and  so  intelligently  that  all  felt  assured  of  a 
faithful  umpire  in  the  desperation  of  the  last 
charge  of  the  contending  hosts.  Alabama,  as 
usual,  was  first  to  present  a full  delegation ; and 
Arkansas,  just  behind  her,  speedily  followed.  The 
colored  troops  were  generally  among  the  first  to 
the  front,  and  they  evidently  meant  to  fight  nobly. 
Conkling  was  mindful  of  the  potency  of  dramatic 
strategy,  and  knew  that  he  would  meet  his  grand- 
est welcome  as  he  passed  before  his  allies  to  lead 
them  in  the  hand-to-hand  struggle.  He  waited 
until  just  before  the  time  for  calling  to  order,  and 
then  strode  into  the  hall  with  that  masmificent 
bearing-  that  none  of  his  rivals  could  imitate.  As 
soon  as  his  tall  form  and  silvered  crown  were 
visible  the  shout  went  up  that  all  understood,  and 


462 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


it  was  heartier  and  longer  than  ever  before.  He 
walked  down  the  aisle  with  the  utmost  composure, 
and  gracefully  bowed  his  recognition  of  the  hom- 
age tendered  him.  Garfield  is  the  member  of  the 
convention  who  divides  with  Conkling  the  popular 
welcome  at  every  opening. 

“ He  received  a royal  welcome  when  he  entered, 
and  his  strong,  rugged  features  lightened  like  the 
rippled  lake  with  its  dancing  sunshine.  Cameron 
was  active,  silent  and  determined  as  ever.  He 
flitted  hurriedly  among  the  distinguished  guests 
before  the  signal-gun  was  fired,  and  then  retired 
to  his  immediate  command.  Hale  and  Frye  were 
among  the  first  to  take  their  position,  and  hope 
and  fear  were  plainly  wrestling  with  each  other  on 
their  faces.  Hale  was  pale  with  anxiety,  and  the 
usually  flushed  features  of  Frye  were  redder  than 
are  their  wont.  Both  seemed  well  poised  and 
reasonably  self-relig.nt,  but  the  contrast  between 
their  nervous  apprehensions  and  the  calm  defiance 
of  Conkling  was  a study  for  the  intelligent  ob- 
servers of  men.  Chandler  was  restless,  and  his 
little  face  seemed  to  have  shrunk  away  behind  his 
eye-glasses. 

“ Locran  was  as  calm  as  the  dark  cloud  that  is 

<_> 

just  waiting  to  hurl  its  thunderbolt.  He  sat  as 
still  as  a statue,  his  swarthy  features  appearing 
darker  than  usual,  and  his  fierce  black  eyes  now 
and  then  darting  out  their  most  defiant  flashes, 
He  seemed  conscious  that  his  leader  was  beaten. 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


4^3 


but  he  was  evidently  resolved  that  there  should  be 
a costly  retreat  for  the  pursuing  hosts.  Garfield, 
Foster,  Dennison,  Bateman,  Butterfield  and  other 
Ohio  leaders  were  to  be  seen  in  little  knots  of 
their  delegation,  as  if  they  feared  defection  at  an 
early  stage  of  the  contest,  and  there  was  evident  un- 
rest amongf  the  Indiana  men.  General  Harrison’s 
short  form  and  sharply-cut  features  were  shaded 
with  anxiety.  He  feared  Grant,  and  now  that 
Grant  seemed  to  be  beaten,  he  was  impressed 
with  the  possibility  of  the  grandson  of  a President 
being  the  choice  of  exhausted  factions.  General 
Sewell  sat  in  front  of  Conkling  and  his  youthful 
face  exhibited  the  coolness  and  determination 
which  characterized  him  in  the  heat  of  battle.  As 
far  as  faces  could  be  distinguished  in  the  great 
arena,  all  seemed  to  be  soberly  anxious  for  the 
order  to  advance. 

“When  President  Hoar  called  the  convention  to 
order  there  was  a speedy  hush,  and  the  vast  mul- 
titude tvas  seated  with  wonderful  alacrity.  All 
seemed  anxious  for  the  figTt  to  begin.  The  min- 
ister  who  opened  with  prayer  shared  the  general 
appreciation  of  the  value  of  the  fleeting  moments, 
and  his  petition  had  the  merit  of  brevity.” 

The  chair,  at  the  conclusion  of  the  prayer,  an- 
nounced that  during  the  balloting^  he  would  not 
allow  any  delay,  debate  or  tricks,  by  changing 
votes  after  they  were  once  cast. 

Eugene  Hale  thereupon  moved : “ That  the 


464 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


convention  proceed  to  ballot.”  Senator  Conkling 
seconded  the  motion,  and  the  roll-call  was  begun 
in  a silence  that  showed  how  intense  was  the 
anxiety  to  know  the  worst  or  best.  The  result 
was  announced  by  the  secretaries,  as  follows : 


States. 

Grant. 

Blaine. 

Sherman. 

Edmunds.  Windom. 

Washburne 

Alabama 

1 6 

1 

3 

Arkansas 

I 2 

. . . 

California 

I 2 

• . . 

Colorado 

6 

Connecticut 

3 

. . . 

2 

7 

Delaware 

6 

Florida 

8 

. . . 

... 

Georgia 

6 

8 

8 

Illinois 

24 

10 

... 

8 

Indiana 

26 

2 

1 

Iowa 

22 

... 

Kansas 

4 

6 

Kentucky 

20 

I 

3 

Louisiana 

8 

2 

6 

Maine 

14 

... 

Maryland 

• 7 

7 

2 

. 

Massachusetts. .. 

3 

2 

20 

1 

Michigan 

I 

21 

... 

Minnesota 

...  IO 

Mississippi 

6 

4 

6 

Missouri 

• 29 

1 

Nebraska 

6 

. . . 

Nevada 

6 

New  Hampshire.  ... 

ic 

... 

New  Jersey 

16 

... 

2 

New  York 

17 

2 

Carried  forward, 

201 

198 

34 

22  10 

20 

JAMES  A.  GAR  I- IE  LD. 


465 


States. 

Grant. 

Blaine. 

Sherman. 

Edmunds. 

Windom. 

Washburne. 

Brought  forward, 

201 

198 

34 

22 

10 

20 

North  Carolina.. 

6 

. . . 

14 

... 

Ohio 

9 

34 

1 

Oregon 

6 

• • 

Pennsylvania 

32 

23 

3 

Rhode  Island.... 

8 

... 

South  Carolina... 

13 

. . • 

1 

Tennessee 

l6 

6 

1 

X 

Texas 

1 1 

2 

2 

1 

Vermont 

• . . 

• • . 

10 

Virginia 

18 

3 

1 

West  Virginia. .. 

1 

8 

• . • 

Wisconsin 

1 

7 

3 

9 

Arizona 

2 

. . • 

Dakota 

1 

1 

. . • 

Dis’t  of  Columbia  1 

1 

• • . 

Idaho 

2 

. • • 

Montana 

2 

• • . 

New  Mexico 

2 

. . • 

Utah 

I 

1 

Washington 

1 

1 

... 

Wyoming 

I 

I 

... 

... 

Total 

3°4 

284 

93 

34 

10 

3° 

The  incidents  of  this  ballot  were  few  and  not 
very  remarkable.  There  was  faint  applause  when 
Arkansas  voted  solid  for  Grant,  but  all  sides 
joined  in  hissing  it  down.  When  Pixley  announced 
California’s  vote  for  Blaine,  in  a dramatic  fashion, 
and  with  a sentence  thrown  in  for  the  galleries,  the 
President  rose  and  notified  the  chairmen  of  dele- 
gations that  no  comment  of  any  kind  would  be 


466 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


allowed.  When  Conkling  rose  to  announce  the 
vote  of  New  York,  every  one  strained  forward  to 
catch  his  words.  In  a distinct  voice  he  responded 
“Two  votes  are  reported  for  Sherman,  seventeen 
for  Blaine,  and  fifty-one  are  for  Grant."  This 
method  of  announcement  was  Conkling’ s inevit- 
able sneer  for  his  opponents.  Ohio  threw  a wet 
blanket  on  the  Sherman  men  by  casting  nine 
votes  for  Blaine,  and  the  announcement  bright- 
ened the  faces  of  a vast  majority  of  spectators. 
Pennsylvania  was  another  of  the  States  that  si- 
lenced the  audience  when  called,  and  she  was 
about  to  declare  how  Cameron  had  held  the  Grant 
lines  against  the  Blaine  assaults.  General  Bea- 
ver  thundered  out:  “ Pennsylvania  votes  thirty- 
two  for  Grant,  twenty-three  for  Blaine,  and  three 
for  Sherman.”  After  this  there  was  but  little  in- 
terest, and  the  ballot  closed  in  the  most  orderly 
manner.  The  result  brought  shouts  from  the 
Grant  men,  and  some  disappointment  to  the 
Blaine  leaders.  The  moment  the  vote  was  an- 
nounced the  President  ordered  another,  holding 
that  nothing  was  in  order  but  voting;  and  before 
the  leaders  could  look  to  their  lines  they  were  in 
action  again  by  the  prompt  roll-call.  The  second 
ballot  was  uneventful,  the  third  and  fourth  the 
same.  The  changes  in  these,  and  the  succeeding 
ballots  of  the  afternoon  were  very  slight — except 
the  nomination  of  Garfield  by  a vote  from  Grier, 
a Pennsylvania  delegate,  and  made  without  any 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


46- 


particular  idea  of  permanency.  A recess  was 
several  times  proposed  but  voted  down,  and  there 
were  a score  of  little  incidents  that  were  eventful 
for  only  the  brief  minutes  of  their  existence. 
The  last  ballot  taken  at  the  morning  session  was 
the  eighteenth,  and  immediately  after  its  an- 
nouncement, on  motion  of  a Sherman  man  from 
Mississippi,  a recess  was  ordered  until  seven 
o’clock.  The  various  ballots  of  this  session  were 
as  follows  : 


ISt. 

2d. 

3d. 

4th. 

5th. 

6 th. 

7th. 

8th. 

9th. 

Grant 304 

3°5 

3°5 

3°5 

3°5 

3°5 

3°5 

3°6 

308 

Blaine 284 

282 

282 

281 

281 

281 

281 

284 

282 

Sherman...  93 

94 

93 

95 

95 

95 

94 

91 

90 

Edmunds..  34 

32 

32 

32 

32 

31 

32 

31 

31 

Washburn  e 30 

31 

31 

3° 

3° 

31 

31 

32 

32 

Windom..  10 

10 

10 

10 

10 

10 

10 

10 

10 

Garfield 

1 

1 

1 

2 

2 

1 

2 

Harrison 

... 

1 

... 

... 

... 

... 

10th. 

nth. 

12th. 

13th. 

14th. 

I5th. 

l6th. 

17th. 

18th. 

Grant 305 

3°  6 

3°4 

3°5 

3°5 

3°9 

306 

3 °3 

3°5 

Blaine 282 

281 

283 

1 0 
00 

N 

285 

281 

283 

284 

283 

Sherman...  92 

92 

92 

89 

89 

88 

88 

90 

9i 

Edmunds..  31 

31 

31 

31 

3i 

31 

31 

31 

3i 

Washburn  e 32 

32 

33 

32 

35 

36 

36 

36 

35 

Windom...  10 

1 1 

IO 

10 

10 

10 

10 

10 

10 

Garfield...  2 

2 

1 

1 

. . . 

• . • 

. . • 

. . . 

Hayes 1 

1 

1 

... 

... 

... 

... 

... 

McCrary 

... 

... 

1 

... 

... 

... 

... 

... 

Davis 

. . . 

... 

1 

... 

The  evening  session  started  rather  noisily  and 
there  was  some  slight  trouble  to  keep  order  as 


468 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


the  call  went  on.  The  announcement  of  the  first 
ballot  at  this  session  was  greeted  by  the  Sherman 
men  with  cheers,  who  saw  their  candidate  was 
making  a hole  in  the  Blaine  column.  There  was 
nothing  of  importance  to  disturb  the  situation  of 
the  Grant  people.  They  held  their  own  through 
the  recess  and  came  back  showing  their  determi- 
nation to  stick  by  their  candidate  to  the  last.  It 
was  very  clear  there  had  been  no  wholesale  re- 
pairing of  fences  since  the  adjournment,  and  it 
began  to  look  like  an  all-night  siege.  The  vary- 
ing fortunes  of  the  different  candidates  are  shown 
by  the*votes  tabulated  below,  it  is  hardly  necessary 
to  summarize  them  in  detail. 

After  the  twenty-seventh  ballot,  Morse,  of  Mas- 
sachusetts, proposed  an  adjournment  till  the  next 
morning.  It  was  nearly  half  past  nine,  and  the 
hall  was  excessively  hot.  Not  less  than  twelve 
thousand  people  were  overlooking  the  progress  of 
the  ballot,  and  at  the  conclusion  of  each  call,  while 
the  secretaries  were  footing  up  the  totals,  this  im- 
mense audience  would  rise  with  one  accord  to 
rest,  by  change  of  position,  and  the  movement  was 
suggestive  of  the  distant  roar  of  a coming  storm. 
It  was  undeniably  a brilliant  scene  at  this  time, 
but  nobody  could  shut  his  ear  to  the  fact  that  the 
multitude  of  spectators  was  a hindrance  to  busi- 
ness. Morse’s  motion  to  adjourn  was  withdrawn 
and  another  ballot  was  ordered,  after  which  a mo- 
tion to  adjourn  was  carried  by  446  to  303,  and  the 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


469 


convention,  at  ten  P.  M.,  adjourned  till  ten  A.  M. 
the  next  morning.  The  ballots  cast  at  the  evening 
session  were  as  follows : 


19th.  20th.  2 ISt.  22(1.  23d.  24th.  25th.  26th.  27th.  28th. 

Grant 305  308  305  305  304  305  302  303  306  307 

Blaine 279  276  276  275  273  279  281  280  277  279 

Sherman 96  93  96  97  97  93  94  93  93  91 

Edmunds 31  31  31  31  31  31  31  31  31  31 

Washburne 32  35  35  35  36  35  35  36  36  35 

Windom 10  10  10  10  10  10  10  10  ic  10 

Garfield IIII222212 

Hartranft 1 1 1 1 ... 


470 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


CHAPTER  XXXII. 


HE  convention  had  now  been  in  session 


for  five  days,  and  the  result  was  not 


reached;  the  country  was  impatient,  the 
people  were  anxious  for  the  termination  of  the 
bactle.  All  Chicago  rose  on  June  8th,  with  a set- 
tled wish  that  “to-day  might  settle  it.”  The  wish 
was  father  to  the  thought.  The  politicians  be- 
lieved it  would  as  they  strolled  out  of  their  hotels, 
boarding-houses  and  resting-places,  and  streamed 
in  the  direction  of  the  Exhibition  building. 

General  Garfield  came  forth  from  the  Grand 
Pacific,  arm-in-arm  with  his  friend,  Governor  Fos- 
ter, of  Ohio.  The  suspicion  that  he  would  before 
nightfall  be  the  nominee  of  the  strongest  party  in 
the  country  for  its  president,  never  entered  his 
head. 

“I  think,  Charlie,”  said  Garfield,  “we  shall  get 
through  with  this  business  of  president-making, 
to-day.” 

“Yes,”  returned  Foster,  “the  delegates  are  all 
getting  tired  and  want  to  go  home.” 

“ I am  quite  sure  they  will  select  a candidate 
before  another  adjournment,”  continued  Garfield. 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


w 


“I  hope  it  will  be  our  man,”  answered  Foster. 

“ Honest  John  Sherman  will  be  nominated,  and 
again  Ohio  will  be  made  proud  by  the  work  of 
the  convention.” 

“ Amen,”  said  Foster,  “let  us  all  take  heart  and 
work.” 

“Yes,  that  is  the  word,”  cried  Garfield.  “Work! 
work ! work !”  and  the  two  friends  continued  on 
down  the  street. 

As  Garfield  turned  a corner,  one  of  the  hundreds 
of  people  who  were  thrusting  advertisements,  circu- 
lars and  political  squibs  into  the  hands  of  passers- 
by,  pressed  a little  piece  of  paper  upon  him,  which  he 
accepted  mechanically,  and  as  mechanically  glanced 
at.  His  eye  caught  “Actsiv,  n.”  Thinking  he 
would  not  throw  a Bible-leaf  into  the  mud,  he 
rolled  it  up  and  put  it  in  his  pocket,  where  he 
afterward  found  it,  and  continued  his  walk.  Had 
he  read  it,  the  spirit  of  its  prophecy  would,  no 
doubt,  have  struck  him,  as  the  words  of  that  verse 
are  these:  “This  is  the  stone  which  was  set  at 
nought  of  you  builders,  which  is  become  the  head 
of  the  corner.  Neither  is  there  salvation  in  any 
other:  for  there  is  none  other  name  under 
heaven  given  among  men,  whereby  we  must  be 
saved.”  Acts  iv,  1 1-12. 

These,  however,  are  but  curious  coincidences 
that,  no  doubt,  would  have  exceedingly  worked 
upon  people  of  a superstitious  turn  of  mind. 
But  it  was  only  the  action  of  the  convention 
28 


472 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


which  met  an  hour  late  that  morning,  that  gave 
them  their  value.  When  it  was  opened,  the  rev- 
erend gentleman  who  asked  the  blessing  of  the 
Almighty,  voicing  the  popular  heart,  prayed  that 
the  delegates  might  soon  be  restored  to  their 
friends.  The  call  of  the  States  was  then  ordered 
for  the  twenty-ninth  ballot,  for  president.  The  re- 
sult was  305  for  Grant;  278  for  Blaine;  1 16  for 
Sherman;  12  for  Edmunds;  35  for  Washburne; 
7 for  Windom,  and  2 for  Garfield. 

There  were  some  indications  as  the  thirtieth 
ballot  progressed  that  the  lesser  candidates  were 
giving  way.  Great  amusement  was  created  to- 
ward the  close  by  the  announcement  of  one  vote 
from  Wyoming  for  General  Phil  Sheridan  Sheri- 
dan was  on  the  stage  near  the  chair,  and  when  he 
was  a moment  after  discovered  by  the  people  a 
shout  went  up  from  all  over  the  house.  He 
finally  arose  and  said  that  he  was  very  much 
obliged,  but  he  couldn’t  take  the  nomination  unless 
he  were  permitted  to  turn  it  over  to  his  best 
friend.  The  galleries  saw  the  point  of  this,  since 
Sheridan’s  best  friend  is  Grant,  and  all  the  Grant 
delegates  made  the  best  of  the  opportunity  by  an 
outburst  of  enthusiasm.  The  chair  also  detected 
the  point,  and  said  that  while  the  distinguished 
soldier  had  been  given  permission  to  interrupt  the 
order  of  the  convention,  it  would  be  granted  no 
one  else. 

The  next  ballot  demonstrated  that  the  Orant 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


4 73 


lines  could  not  be  broken,  and  the  Blaine  lines 
were  at  this  time  wavering.  It  was  apparent  the 
convention  was  on  the  edge  of  a break._  The 
next  ballot,  which  was  finished  by  half-past  twelve, 
was  without  exciting  event.  The  close  of  the 
•thirty-fourth  was  marked  with  some  excitement, 
growing  out  of  a break  to  Garfield,  Wisconsin 
casting  for  him  thirty-six  votes.  This  was  the  be- 
ginning of  the  end.  To  make  up  this  breach, 
Washburne,  Blaine  and  Sherman  were  drawn 
upon.  When  it  was  declared,  General  Garfield 
arose  and  addressed  the  chair.  The  chairman  in- 
quired for  what  purpose  the  gentleman  rose. 

“To  a question  of  order,”  said  Garfield. 

“The  gentleman  will  state  it,”  said  the  chair. 

“I  challenge,”  said  Mr.  Garfield,  “the  correct- 
ness of  the  announcement  that  contains  votes  for 
me.  No  man  has  a right,  without  the  consent  of 
the  person  voted  for,  to  have  his  name  announced 
and  voted  for  in  this  convention.  Such  consent  I 
have  not  given.” 

This  was  overruled  by  the  chairman  amidst 
laughter  against  Garfield,  who  had  made  the  point 
on  the  vote  cast  for  him  by  Wisconsin. 

Then  the  thirty-fifth  ballot  was  taken,  and 
proved  the  most  interesting  one  of  the  day  so  far. 
The  call  was  quick,  and  the  people  began  to  show 
better  spirits.  It  was  apparent  that  the  Blaine 
movement  had  broken  up.  The  ballot  resulted  as 
follows : 


474 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


States  and  T erritories. 


U 

c 

Alabama 16 

Arkansas 12 

California 

Colorado 6 

Connecticut 

Delaware 

Florida 8 

Georgia 8 

Illinois 24 

Indiana 1 

Iowa 

Kansas 4 

Kentucky 20 

Louisiana 8 

Maine 

Maryland 7 

Massachusetts 4 

Michigan 1 

Minnesota 1 

Mississippi 8 

Missouri 29 

Nebraska 

Nevada 


New  Hampshire. 


New  Jersey ... 

New  York 50 

North  Carolina 6 

Ohio 

Oregon 

Pennsylvania 36 

Rhode  Island 


Carried  forward 249 


. i m ^ 

1 ill 

S ot  3 s£ 


4 

... 

12 

3 

9 

6 

9 

5 

10 

8 

2 

27 

22 

6 

1 

3 

4 

4 

14 

... 

3 

2 

4 

21 

1 

21 

... 

6 

... 

3 

4 

3 

1 

... 

... 

1 

6 

. . . 

6 

... 

10 

... 

14 

2 

2 

18 

2 

*3 

1 

9 

34 

1 

6 

... 

20 

... 

1 

1 

8 

... 

224 

89 

1 

3 

22 

34 

Wash  bu  me. 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


475 


V 

c 


States  and  Territories 

Grant. 

Blaine. 

c 

ei 

CJ 

JZ 

in 

Edmunds 

Windom. 

| 

J 

2 

13 

<€ 

a 

O 

Brought  forward.... 

.249 

224 

89 

1 

3 

22 

34 

South  Carolina 

1 

2 

10 

Tennessee 

• 17 

4 

3 

... 

Texas 

• 13 

1 

1 

... 

I 

Vermont 

• • • 

• • • 

... 

Virginia 

. 16 

3 

3 

... 

West  Virginia 

8 

1 

Wisconsin 

2 

1 6 

Arizona 

2 

Dakota 

1 

District  of  Columbia.. 

1 

1 

Idaho 

2 

... 

... 

Montana 

2 

New  Mexico 

2 

• • • 

Utah 

1 

W ashington 

2 

Wyoming 

1 

Totals 

3J3 

257 

99 

11 

3 

23 

5° 

The  call  of  the  States  for  the  thirty-sixth  ballot 
began  amidst  considerable  excitement.  A dele- 
gate thus  described  it:  “Everybody  saw  that 
Blaine  was  now  out  of  the  way,  and  it  was  a mat- 
ter of  beating  Grant,  so  far  as  the  opposition  was 
concerned.  It  was  evident,  too,  that  it  would  have 
to  be  done  with  Garfield,  and  Connecticut  led  off 
on  this  ballot  with  eleven  votes  for  him.  The 
most  of  the  Washburne  vote  of  Illinois  followed 
this,  and  when  Indiana  was  called,  General  Har- 
rison cast  twenty-nine  of  her  thirty  votes  for  Gar- 


476 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


field.  The  storm  at  this  point  broke.  The  people 
rose  up  and  gave  one  tremendous  cheer,  and  hats 
and  handkerchiefs  were  tossed  high,  as  they  had 
so  often  been  before.  The  confusion  had  not 
fairly  subsided  when  Iowa  followed  with  twenty- 
two  votes  for  Garfield,  and  the  outburst  was  re- 
newed and  gained  in  force  with  every  fresh  start. 
A little  further  down  Maine  cast  her  fourteen 
votes  for  the  Ohio  man,  and  the  cheering  was 
greater  than  ever..  The  confusion  was  so  great 
that  it  was  almost  impossible  to  go  on  with  the 
call.  The  delegations  of  Maryland,  Massachu- 
setts, Michigan,  Minnesota  and  Mississippi  each 
insisted  on  an  individual  roll-call,  and  the  Blaine 
and  Sherman  votes  nearly  all  turned  up  for  Gar- 
field. Conkling  was  dodging  about  a good  deal 
at  this  time,  but  it  dawned  upon  the  Grant  men 
that  all  was  up  with  them.  They  were  well  dis- 
ciplined, however,  and  hung  together  all  the  way 
down  the  call.  It  was  getting  down  to  Pennsyl- 
vania. Cameron  sat  imperturbable  in  the  midst  of 
his  delegates,  and  was  repeatedly  urged  to  cast 
the  solid  Pennsylvania  delegation  for  Blaine  on 
this  ballot.  This  would  have  prevented  the  nomi- 
nation of  Garfield  on  that  ballot,  at  least,  and 
might  have  stayed  the  Garfield  cyclone  by  getting 
Blaine  back  on  the  track ; but  Cameron  at  this 
time  would  not  acknowledge  that  Garfield  could 
go  through  as  he  did  go. 

“Ohio  was  finally  called.  The  delegation  had 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


477 


been  thrown  into  confusion  and  it  was  some  time 
in  getting  around,  but  it  finally  turned  up  with 
forty-three  for  Garfield,  the  missing  delegate 
being  Garfield  himself.  The  convention  relapsed 
into  cheers  again,  but  recovered  in  a moment  to 
hear  General  Beaver  announce  the  Pennsylvania 
vote  as  thirty-seven  for  Grant,  twenty-one  for 
Garfield.  Gordon  had  swung  around  to  Grant, 
and  Hays,  who  had  voted  for  Blaine,  felt  himself 
released  when  Maine  virtually  put  him  out  of  the 
field,  and  went  with  the  Grant  people.  The 
Grant  men  got  in  a little  cheer  here,  but  it  was  of 
short  life.  As  the  call  went  on,  as  well  as  it 
could  in  the  confusion,  the  Blaine  delegates 
wheeled  into  line  for  Garfield.  Vermont  was 
wildly  cheered  when  the  ten  Edmunds  votes 
swung  around,  and  Wisconsin’s  eighteen  following 
shortly  after,  gave  the  man  from  Ohio  a majority 
of  the  whole  number. 

“The  thousands  had  kept  tally  and  knew  this. 
There  was  a momentary  hush,  as  if  the  seven  or 
eight  thousand  people  were  taking  breath,  and 
then  the  storm  burst,  and  while  the  cheering 
went  on  the  banners  of  the  several  States  were 
borne  to  the  place  where  Ohio’s  delegation  sat, 
Garfield  in  the  midst  of  them,  and  there  was  a 
scene  almost  equal  to  that  of  mid-night  on  Fri- 
day. The  band  was  playing  ‘The  Battle-Cry  of 
Freedom’  at  the  lower  end  of  the  hall,  and  when 
the  cheering  subsided  for  a moment  the  air  was 


478 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


taken  up  and  sung  in  chorus  by  thousands  of 
voices.  Everywhere  flags  were  waving  and  on 
the  outside  of  the  building  cannon  were  booming 
and  thousands  were  cheering.  This  went  on  for 
a quarter  of  an  hour,  during  which  time  Conkling 
sat  in  his  place  at  the  head  of  his  delegation  with- 
out show  of  emotion  of  any  sort.  Efforts  were 
made  to  get  Garfield  out,  but  he  remained  hidden 
in  the  midst  of  his  Ohio  friends.” 

The  ballot  resulted  as  tabulated : 


States. 

Vote. 

Grant. 

Blaine. 

Sherman. 

Washburne. 

Garfield, 

Alabama 

..  20 

16 

4 

... 

Arkansas 

12 

... 

. . • 

California 

... 

12 

. . . 

Colorado 

..  6 

6 

... 

Connecticut.... 

. 12 

.. 

1 

1 1 

Delaware 

. 6 

. . . 

6 

Florida 

. 8 

8 

... 

• • . 

Georgia 

..  22 

8 

10 

3 

1 

Illinois 

..  42 

24 

6 

5 

7 

Indiana 

••  3° 

I 

... 

29 

Iowa 

..  22 

... 

... 

22 

Kansas 

. xo 

4 

6 

Kentucky 

. 24 

20 

I 

3 

Louisiana 

8 

... 

8 

Maine 

■ 14 

14 

Maryland 

6 

10 

Massachusetts. . 

. 26 

4 

... 

22 

Michigan 

. 22 

1 

21 

Minnesota 

2 

... 

8 

Carried  forward,  330 

120 

40 

3 

5 

162 

JAMES  A.  GARFIELD . 


States,  Vote.  Grant, 

Brought  forward, 330  1 20 

Mississippi 16  7 

Missouri 30  29 

Nebraska 6 

Nevada 6 2 

New  Hampshire.  10 

New  Jersey 18 

New  York 70  50 

North  Carolina..  20  5 

Ohio 44 

Oregon 6 


Pennsylvania 58  37 

Rhode  Island....  8 
South  Carolina...  14  8 


Tennessee 24  15 

Texas 16  13 

Vermont 10 

Virginia 22  19 

West  Virginia 10  1 

Wisconsin 20 

Arizona 2 

Dakota 2 

Dis’t  of  Columbia  2 

Idaho 2 

Montana 2 

New  Mexico 2 

Utah...., 2 

Washington 2 

Wyoming 2 

Total 755  306 


479 

Blaine.  Sherman.  Washburne.  Garfield, 

40  3 5 162 

9 

1 

6 

1 3 

10 

18 

...  ...  ...  20 

15 

43 

6 

...  ...  ...  21 

8 

6 

1 8 

3 

...  ...  ...  10 

3 

9 

...  ...  ...  20 

...  ...  ....  2 

2 
2 

...  ...  ...  2 

...  ...  ...  2 

...  ...  ...  2 

...  ...  ...  2 

...  ...  ...  2 

...  ...  ...  2 

42  3 5 399 


This  was  the  thirty-sixth  and  last  ballot  taken. 


480 


IFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


and  completed  a remarkable  series  of  votes.  In 
detail  they  were  as  here  given  : 


Ballot. 


I* 

o 

1  3°4 

2  3°5 

3  3°5 

4  3°5 

5  3°5 

6  3° 5 

7  3°5 

8  306 

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10 305 

n 3°5 

12  304 

13  3°5 

14  3°5 

15  3°9 

16  306 

17  3°3 

18  3°5 

19  3°5 

20  . 308 

21  3°5 

22  305 

23  3°4 

24  3°5 

25  3°2 

26  303 

27  306 

28  307 

29  3°5 


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276 

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279 

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281 

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280 

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. . • 

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JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


481 


Ballot. 

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. 306 

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399 

At  the  announcement  of  Garfield’s  nomination, 
the  people  again  stood  upon  the  benches  to  hur- 
rah and  yell  in  the  old  way.  In  the  midst  of  it,  the 
tall  form  of  Logan  rose  up  and  sought  to  catch 
the  eye  of  the  President.  Conkling  was  standing 
in  the  aisle  seeking  the  same  thing.  As  soon  as 
order  was  restored,  the  latter  was  recognized,  and 
in  a husky  voice,  sadly  in  contrast  with  his  tones 
before  the  result,  he  said : 

“Mr.  Chairman:  James  A.  Garfield,  of  Ohio, 
having  received  a majority  of  all  the  votes  cast, 
I rise  to  move  that  he  be  unanimously  presented 
as  the  nominee  of  the  convention.  The  chair, 
under  the  rules,  anticipated  me,  but  being  on  my 
feet  I avail  myself  of  the  opportunity  to  congratu- 
late the  Republican  party  of  the  nation  on  the 
good-natured  and  well-tempered  disposition  which 
has  distinguished  this  animated  convention.  [Cries 
of  ‘Louder!’  from  the  galleries.]  I should  like  to 
speak  louder,  but  having  sat  here  under  a cold 


482 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


wind  I find  myself  unable  to  do  so.  I was  about 
to  say,  Mr.  Chairman,  that  I trust  that  the  zeal, 
the  fervor  and  now  the  unanimity  of  the  scenes  of 
the  convention  will  be  transplanted  to  the  field  of 
the  country,  and  that  all  of  us  who  have  borne  a part 
against  each  other  will  be  found  with  equal  zeal 
bearing  the  banners  and  carrying  the  lances  of 
the  Republican  party  into  the  ranks  of  the  enemy.” 
[Applause.] 

As  he  sat  down,  John  A.  Logan  got  up  and 
spoke: 

“ Gentlemen  of  the  Convention  : W e are  to  be 
congratulated  at  having  arrived  at  a conclusion  in 
respect  to  presenting  the  name  of  a candidate  to 
be  the  standard-bearer  of  the  Republican  party 
for  President  of  the  United  States  in  union  and 
harmony  with  each  other.  Whatever  may  have 
transpired  in  this  convention  that  may  have  pro- 
duced feelings  of  annoyance  will  be,  I hope,  con- 
sidered as  a matter  of  the  past.  I,  with  the 
friends  of  one  of  the  grandest  men  on  the  face  of 
the  earth,  stood  here  to  fight  a friendly  battle  for 
hi's  nomination,  but  this  convention  has  chosen 
another  leader  and  the  men  who  stood  by  Grant 
will  be  seen  in  the  front  of  the  contest  for  Mr. 
Garfield.  [Cheers.]  We  will  go  forward  in  the 
contest,  not  with  tied  hands,  not  with  sealed  lips, 
not  with  bridled  tongues,  but  to  speak  the  truth 
in  favor  of  the  grandest  party  that  has  ever  been 
organized  in  this  country,  to  maintain  its  prin- 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


483 


ciples,  to  uphold  its  power,  to  preserve  its  as- 
cendency, and  my  judgment  is  that,  with  the 
leader  whom  you  have  chosen,  victory  will  perch 
on  our  banners.  [Cheers.]  As  one  of  the  Re- 
publicans from  Illinois  I second  the  nomination  of 
James  A.  Garfield  and  hope  it  will  be  made  unani- 
mous.” [Cheers.] 

Two  of  the  senatorial  triumvirate,  the  grand 
trio  that  had  come  to  Chicago  to  nominate  Grant 
and  had  been  defeated,  had  now  spoken.  Penn- 
sylvania was  wanted  to  complete  it.  General 
Beaver  a minute  later  rose,  stood  in  his  delegation 
and  addressed  the  vast  gathering: 

“The  State  of  Pennsylvania  having  had  the 
honor  of  first  nominating  in  this  convention  the 
gentleman  who  has  been  chosen  as  the  standard- 
bearer  of  the  Republican  party  in  the  approaching 
national  contest,  I rise  to  second  the  motion  which 
has  been  made  to  make  the  nomination  unani- 
mous, and  to  assure  this  convention  and  the  peo- 
ple of  the  country  that  Pennsylvania  is  heartily  in 
accord  with  the  nomination  [cheers] ; that  she 
gives  her  full  concurrence  to  it,  and  that  this 
country  may  expect  from  her  the  greatest  major- 
ity that  has  been  given  for  a Presidential  candi- 
date in  many  years.” 

Then  the  defeated  leader  of  the  Blaine  forces, 
Eugene  Hall,  stepped  into  the  line  and  spoke  for 
his  friends: 

“Standing  here  to  return  our  heartfelt  thanks 


484 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


to  the  many  men  in  this  convention  who  have 
aided  us  in  the  fight  that  we  made  for  the  senator 
from  Maine,  and  speaking  for  them  here,  as  I 
know  that  I do,  I say  this  most  heartily.  We  have 
not  got  the  man  whom  we  hoped  to  nominate 
when  we  came  here,  but  We  have  got  a man  in 
whom  we  have  the  greatest  and  most  marked  corn 
fidence.  The  nominee  of  this  convention  is  no 
new  or  untried  man,  and  in  that  respect  he  is  no 
‘dark  horse.’  When  he  came  here  representing 
his  State  in  the  front  of  his  delegation,  and  was 
seen  here,  every  man  knew  him,  because  of  his 
record ; and  because  of  that,  and  because  of  our 
faith  in  him,  and  because  we  were,  in  the  emer- 
gency, glad  to  help  make  him  the  candidate  of  the 
Republican  party  for  President  of  the  United 
States ; because,  I say,  of  these  things  I stand  here 
to  pledge  the  Maine  forces  in  this  convention  to 
earnest  efforts  from  now  until  the  ides  of  Novem- 
ber to  help  carry  him  to  the  Presidential  chair.” 
[Cheers.] 

The  nomination  was  then  made  unanimous, 
amid  the  wildest  excitement,  and  at  half-past  two 
a recess  was  taken  until  five  P.  M.  The  evening 
session  was  short,  and  resulted  in  the  choice  of 
Chester  A.  Arthur,  of  New  York,  for  the  second 
place  on  the  ticket,  and  the  convention  adjourned 
sine  die , after  one  of  the  most  gigantic  political 
struggles  ever  recorded. 

Here,  for  a*moment,  we  must  turn  aside  to  re- 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


435 


late  a little  incident,  that  had  just  happened  in 
another  city.  General  Garfield  owns  a residence, 
as  the  reader  knows,  in  Washington.  During  his 
absence  it  was  occupied  by  his  private  stenog- 
rapher, Mr.  George  W.  Rose.  This  gentleman 
says: 

“On  the  day  of  the  general’s  nomination  for 
President,  at  about  the  very  moment  of  absolute 
time  (as  the  Signal  Service  Bureau  would  say) 
that  the  nomination  was  made,  allowing  for  the 
difference  in  longitude  between  here  and  Chicago, 
a magnificent  bald  eagle,  after  circling  round  the 
Park,  swooped  down  and  rested  on  the  general’s 
house.  One  of  my  children  was  playing  out  of 
doors  at  the  time,  and  ran  in  to  call  the  attention 
of  the  family  to  this  striking  spectacle.  Several 
of  the  family  and  myself  went  out  and  saw  the 
source  of  the  child’s  wonder.  Before  the  eagle 
rose  from  its  strange  perch  a dozen  people  noticed 
and  commented  upon  it.  An  old  Roman  would 
have  seen  in  this  an  augury  of  the  most  inspiring 
character.  But  we  Americans  are  free  from  su- 
perstitions, and  so  it  was  a mere  ‘coincidence.’  ” 

Yet,  as  a coincidence,  a most  inspiriting  one. 


486 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


CHAPTER  XXXIII. 

HOW  IT  HAPPENED  AND  WHAT  WAS  SAID  OF  IT. 

THE  nomination  of  General  Garfield  was  an 
entirely  spontaneous  movement.  He  was 
not  put  in  nomination  with  any  thunders 
of  eloquence — he  had  no  long  list  of  politicians  to 
urge  and  manage  his  candidacy.  He  did  not  seek 
the  place,  it  sought  him.  He  was  not  a candidate 
for  the  nomination.  When  his  name  first  came 
iso  be  mentioned  in  connection  with  the  office,  he 
caused  to  be  published  in  the  Cleveland  Herald, 
the  following: 

“We  are  authorized  to  say  that  all  statements 
made  either  in  the  press  or  by  private  persons, 
that  General  Garfield  has  changed  his  views  in  re- 
gard to  the  canvass  of  Secretary  Sherman  for  the 
Presidency,  are  absolutely  without  foundation. 
General  Garfield  is  not,  and  will  not  be  a candi- 
date for  President,  and  stands  squarely  and  flatly 
upon  his  letter  recommending  the  Republicans  of 
Ohio  to  give  their  united  vote  in  favor  of  John 
Sherman  for  President.  He  believes  that  Mr. 
Sherman  is  the  choice  of  a large  majority  of  the 
party  in  the  State,  and  that  the  highest  political 
wisdom,  and  best  interests  of  the  Republicans 
will  be  advanced  by  sending  a unanimous  delega- 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


48  7 


tion  from  Ohio  in  his  favor.  We  do  not  make 
this  statement  because  we  needed  any  assurance 
that  General  Garfield  was  the  firm  and  devoted 
friend  of  Mr.  Sherman,  or  that  he  had  changed  his 
views  of  the  propriety  and  fitness  of  Mr.  Sher- 
man's nomination,  but  as  so  many  statements 
have  been  made  and  telegraphic  specials  printed, 
calculated  to  mislead  the  public,  we  desire  to  put 
the  whole  question  at  rest  by  an  authoritative 
statement. 

“General  Garfield  will  continue  to  give  Secre- 
tary Sherman  his  sincere,  earnest  and  hearty  sup- 
port, and  will  be  personally  gratified  if  all  his 
friends  and  those  who  are  influenced  by  his  wishes 
or  opinions,  would  aid  in  securing  for  Mr.  Sher- 
man a united  delegation  from  the  State  of  Ohio." 

In  the  convention  all  that  was  said  about  him 
was  when  Grier,  the  Pennsylvania  delegate,  on 
the  second  ballot,  got  up  and  said,  “I  nominate 
-and  vote  for  James  A.  Garfield,”  an  announce- 
ment perfectly  in  keeping  with  the  character  of  the 
man  for  whom  it  was  made.  This  was  all  until 
Wisconsin  broke  for  him  and  the  tide  set  in  that 
landed  him  in  the  victor’s  seat.  A day  or  two 
after  the  great  event,  an  intimate  friend  of  the 
nominee  related  how  it  happened.  “It  was  mani- 
fest from  the  start,”  said  he,  “that  Garfield  was  a 
favorite  with  a large  majority  of  them.  It  was 
also  noticed  that  leading  visitors  at  the  convention 
were  talking  in  that  direction 

29 


488 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


“Four  days  previous  to  the  great  upheaval. 
Judge  Hoar,  one  of  the  best  informed  men  in  the 
country,  and  who  had  large  personal  acquaintance 
among  the  delegates,  remarked:  ‘If  the  delegates 
were  walled  up  separately  and  allowed  no  commu- 
nication with  each  other,  following  out  the  custom 
at  the  Vatican  in  electing  a pope,  voting  a secret 
ballot,  General  Garfield  would  receive  two-thirds 
of  the  votes  of  the  delegates  present.’  The 
friends  of  the  several  candidates,  of  which  there 
properly  were  three,  seemed  to  lead  out  each 
with  the  firm  conviction  that  by  a long  trial  there 
would  occur  a break  among  the  others.  It  be- 
came apparent  that  the  contest  would  be  one 
simply  of  endurance.  The  forces  were  under  a 
remarkable  discipline,  a wave  of  a hand  from  Mr. 
Conkling  or  the  other  leaders  being  enough  to 
subside  any  one.  Even  Logan  was  in  this  way 
motioned  down  by  a wave  of  the  hand  of  the 
Duke  of  New  York. 

“ As  Grant  was  in  the  lead,  it  was  apparent 
that  his  friends  could  not  consistently  break  and 
go  to  any  other  candidate.  It  was  clear  after  the 
second  day  that  Mr.  Blaine  and  Mr.  Sherman’s 
chances  were  hopeless.  The  friends  of  both,  how- 
ever, you  know,  remained  firm,  hoping  that  each 
other  would  give  way. 

“ It  was  evident  from  confidential  expressions 
by  many  delegates  that  Mr.  Garfield  was  really 
the  first  choice  of  more  than  half  of  the  delegates, 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


489 


including  many  Grant  men.  He  had  placed  him- 
self in  the  front  squarely  against  the  unit  rule. 
Blaine,'  Washburne  and  other  anti-Grant  men 
came  to  Garfield’s  friends  hourly  and  said,  ‘ Why 
don’t  you  Ohio  men  take  up  Garfield  ? We  will 
vote  for  him.’  In  every  instance  they  were  met 
with  the  reply,  ‘ We  have  come  to  urge  the  claims 
of  John  Sherman  for  the  nomination.  We  be- 
lieve him  a strong  candidate.’  The  Blaine  men 
said : ‘ Why  ask  us  to  turn  to  Sherman  ? We  are 
more  than  three  times  your  number.  You,  who 
believing  with  us  that  it  would  be  unwise  to  nom- 
inate  General  Grant,  should  unite  with  us  and 
nominate  Mr.  Blaine.’ 

“ The  Sherman  men  counseled  among  them- 
selves and  concluded  to  hold  out  still  longer.  Fi- 
nally,  on  the  day  preceding  the  final  break,  the  Wis- 
consin delegates  came  to  the  Ohio  men  in  a state 
of  excitement  and  determination,  and  said : ‘ If  you 
Ohio  delegates  will  not  bring  out  General  Gar- 
field, we  shall !’  Some  of  the  Ohio  people  were 
anxious  to  do  this,  but,  under  the  circumstances, 
simply  replied:  ‘Garfield  is  a great  favorite  in 
Ohio,  and  nothing  would  please  us  more  than  to 
vote  for  him,  but  as  we  came  here  to  urge  the 
nomination  of  Mr.  Sherman,  we  shall  use  all  hon- 
orable means  to  secure  that  end.’ 

“ At  one  or  two  ballots  on  the  following  morn- 
ing  it  became  plain  that  something  was  about  to 
occur,  and  the  convention  had  reached  the  begin- 


49© 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


ning  of  the  end.  The  Blaine  forces  felt  that  they 
had  gone  as  far  as  the  most  ardent  supporters  of 
Mr.  Blaine  could  ask.  All  parties  were  anxious 
to  go  home.  Wisconsin’s  response,  ‘fourteen  votes 
for  James  A.  Garfield,’  caused  a ripple  of  surprise 
and  joy  to  sweep  over  the  faces  of  the  delegates, 
and  the  cheers  from  the  gallery  demonstrated  Gar- 
field’s popularity  in  that  vast  audience.  When  the 
roll  of  States  was  called,  a sudden  stillness  settled 
over  the  audience,  and  as  the  State  of  Indiana  was 
called,  General  Harrison  stepped  upon  the  bench 
and  in  a clear,  ringing  voice,  said : ‘ Twenty-nine 
votes  for  James  A.  Garfield.’  Iowa  was  called, 
and  another  voice  rang  out : ‘ Twenty-two  votes 
for  General  Garfield.’ 

“ The  crowd  then  gathered  around  General 
Garfield  and  attempted  to  get  him  up  to  speak, 
but  the  general  sat  perfectly  composed,  and  sim- 
ply replied:  ‘ No,  no,  gentlemen  ; this  is  no  theat- 
rical performance,’  and  their  efforts  were  unavail- 
ing. The  scene  that  followed  has  already  been 
described. 

“As  the  convention  took  a recess  previous  to 
nominating  the  Vice-President,  a great  crowd 
gathered  at  the  outer  door,  and  it  was  with  the 
utmost  difficulty  that  General  Garfield  gained  a 
carriage.  An  incident  occurring  there  is  worthy 
of  publication.  As  Garfield  entered  the  carriage, 
in  company  with  Governor  Foster,  the  crowd 
surged  around  in  a state  of  intense  enthusiasm, 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


49  1 


and  shouted:  ‘Take  off  the  horses;  we  will  pull 
the  carriage.’  The  driver,  who  at  the  time  was 
not  aware  whom  he  was  carrying,  whipped  up  to 
get  away  from  the  men,  who  had  already  com- 
menced to  unfasten  the  harness.  He  cleared  the 
space  several  feet,  but  was  overhauled  again,  and 
the  dazed  driver,  now  thoroughly  frightened,  ap- 
plied his  whip  with  renewed  energy,  and  clearing 
the  crowd,  pushed  for  the  Palmer  House. 

“General  Garfield  was  unfeignedly  surprised  at 
the  turn  affairs  had  taken  in  the  convention,  and 
his  countenance  bore  a grave  and  thoughtful  ex- 
pression. He  made  but  few  remarks  relative  to 
the  causes  leading  to  his  nomination,  and  I know 
positively  that  he  would  listen  to  no  overtures 
from  the  delegates  who  so  heartily  placed  him  in 
nomination.  He  has  not  recovered  from  his  sur- 
prise yet.” 

It  was  indeed  a surprise,  coming,  as  it  did,  so 
entirely  unsought.  During  the  first  minutes  after 
the  result,  and  while  yet  the  general  was  busy 
shaking  hands  with  the  hundreds  around  him,  he 
turned  to  a correspondent  of  the  Cleveland  Herald, , 
and  said : “ I wish  you  would  say  that  this  is  no 

act  of  mine.  I wish  you  would  say  that  I have 
done  everything  and  omitted  nothing  to  secure 
Secretary  Sherman’s  nomination.  I want  it  plainly 
understood  that  I have  not  sought  this  nomination, 
and  have  protested  against  the  use  of  my  name. 
If  Senator  Hoar  had  permitted,  I would  have  for- 


49* 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


bidden  anybody  to  vote  for  me.  But  he  took  me 
off  my  feet  before  I had  said  what  I intended.  I 
am  very  sorry  it  has  occurred,  but  if  my  position 
is  fully  explained,  a nomination,  coming  unsought 
and  unexpected  like  this,  will  be  the  crowning 
gratification  of  my  life.” 

The  news  carried  by  wire  from  Chicago,  sent  a 
thrill  of  pleasure  through  the  land.  Everywhere 
the  nomination  was  received  with  manifestations 
of  great  delight.  Some  forty  telegrams  reached 
the  nominee  before  he  left  the  convention  hall,  and 
before  he  slept  that  Tuesday  night,  more  than  a 
thousand  more  had  winged  their  way  to  him. 
This  came  from  the  White  House: 

Executive  Mansion,  Washington , June  8th. 
General  James  A.  Garfield  : 

You  will  receive  no  heartier  congratulation  to-day  than 
mine.  This  both  for  your  own  and  your  country’s  sake. 

R.  B.  Hayes. 

Every  member  of  the  Cabinet,  Senator  Blaine 
and  hosts  of  other  distinguished  characters  in  the 
councils  of  the  nation,  telegraphed  most  candid 
congratulations. 

The  National  House  of  Representatives,  on  the 
last  day  of  the  convention,  was  occupied  with  a 
discussion  on  the  erection  of  a public  building, 
and  a motion  to  adjourn  was  made.  During  the 
calling  of  the  roll  there  was  a great  deal  of  excite- 
ment shown  by  the  members  over  the  convention 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


493 


news,  and  when  Garfield’s  name  was  called  it  was 
greeted  with  applause  on  both  the  Republican 
and  Democratic  sides  of  the  chamber.  The  an  • 
nouncement,  which  came  in  soon  afterward,  that 
Garfield  had  been  nominated,  was  received  with 
loud  cheers  and  applause  from  the  members,  who 
had  assembled  in  the  lobby  back  of  the  Speaker’s 
desk,  and  the  confusion  was  so  great  that  the  roll- 
call  was  interrupted.  Members  gathered  in 
groups  and  discussed  the  nomination  of  Garfield, 
which  appeared  to  meet  with  almost  universal  ap- 
proval from  the  Republicans  and  which  was  con- 
ceded by  the  Democrats  to  be  a strong  one.  The 
second  call  of  Garfield’s  name  was  the  signal  for 
a burst  of  applause  from  the  Republicans.  The 
motion  was  finally  carried  and  accordingly  the 
House  at  half-past  two  adjourned. 

Cheers  for  Garfield  were  then  given,  while 
cries  of  “Speech  from  Hawley,”  and  “ Hawley  for 
vice-president”  went  up,  but  that  gentleman  did 
not  respond. 

Mr.  Robeson. — I move  that  General  Hawley 
take  the  chair.  Carried  unanimously,  amid  loud 
, cheers.  When  Hawley  took  the  chair  the  House 
presented  a curious  sight.  Every  chair  was  occu- 
pied, the  seats  of  the  absent  members  being  filled 
by  spectators,  who,  upon  the  adjournment,  had 
crowded  into  the  hall,  while  in  the  rear  of  the 
seats  were  groups  of  men  evidently  full  of  excite- 
ment. 


494 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


Mr.  Hawley,  on  taking  the  chair,  said:  “I  beg 
leave  to  say  that  we  occupy  the  floor  with  the  kind 
consent  of  our  friends  on  the  right,  who  will  have 
their  opportunity  by  and  by.”  [Laughter;  cries 
of  “ Speech ! Speech !”] 

Mr.  Hawley. — I have  no  speech  to  make.  The 
nomination  made  at  Chicago  is  its  own  speech,  for 
every  Republican  of  this  House,  and  our  personal 
good-will  goes  with  our  old  friend  and  associate, 
General  Garfield.  [Applause.]  I have  no  doubt, 
from  what  I have  seen  and  heard,  that  this  event 
— this  consummation — is  in  the  very  highest  de- 
gree satisfactory  to  every  Republican  here,  what- 
ever may  have  been  his  personal  preference. 
[Applause.]  We  have  been  warmly  divided  in 
the  past ; we  will  be  much  more  warmly  united  in 
the  future.  [Loud  applause.]  I think  one  result 
will  be — I am  supposing  that  there  are  no  Demo- 
crats here — to  compel  an  excellent  nomination  on 
the  other  side,  so  that  the  country  we  all  love  will 
be  certain  of  a good  President  for  the  next  four 
years,  personally,  whatever  his  political  opinions 
may  be.  [Loud  applause,  in  which  the  Democrats 
joined.] 

Mr.  Robeson  was  then  loudly  called  for,  and 
that  gentleman  responding,  said:  “As  members 
of  the  American  Congress — ” 

A Democrat. — Both  sides  ? 

Mr.  Robeson,  continuing. — Both  sides — I think 
we  have  a right  to  congratulate  the  whole  country 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


495 


that  a man  we  all  know  to  be  a man  of  character 
and  capacity  beyond  impeachment  has  been  nomi- 
nated by  one  of  the  great  political  parties  for  the 
highest  office  in  the  gift  of  the  people.  [Ap- 
plause.] Therefore,  Mr.  Chairman,  I speak  in 
acknowledgment  on  behalf  of  the  House  of  Rep- 
resentatives that  one  of  our  number,  conspicuous 
before  the  people  on  account  of  his  services  on 
this  floor,  has  been  selected  as  the  standard-bearer 
of  the  great  political  party  to  which  I belong. 
That  is  a sentiment  which  affects  neither  the  poli- 
tics nor  the  feelings  of  anybody,  and  I ask  every- 
body within  the  reach  of  my  voice  to  join  me  in 
giving  three  cheers  for  the  candidate  selected  from 
our  body  as  the  candidate  of  a great  party.  [The 
Republicans  rose  and  gave  the  three  cheers  with 
a will,  but  the  Democrats,  though  joining  in  the 
cheering,  retained  their  seats.]  I move,  Mr. 
Chairman,  that  a committee  be  appointed,  and  I 
suggest  as  its  chairman  the  oldest  member  of  the 
House — Judge  Kelley,  of  Pennsylvania — to  send 
by  telegraph  our  congratulations  to  our  fellow 
Congressman  on  his  nomination.  [Applause.] 

Cries  then  went  up  for  “Kelley,”  and  Chairman 
Hawley  stated  that  Mr.  Kelley  would  have  occu- 
pied the  chair,  but  that  he  had  not  been  present. 

Mr.  Kelley. — I have  been  in  that  chair  but  once, 
though  I have  been  here  nineteen  years,  and  then 
I felt  so  like  a fool  that  I never  got  into  it  again. 
[Laughter.]  I thank  the  gentleman  from  New 


496 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


Jersey  (Robeson)  and  his  associates  on  this  floor 
for  having  delegated  to  me  the  chairmanship  of 
the  committee  to  which  has  been  confided  so 
grateful  a duty.  I beg  leave  to  inform  the  chair- 
man and  the  House  that,  taking  advantage  of  cir- 
cumstances, I slipped  out  when  Garfield  was  at 
33 8 and  sent  the  following  telegram:  “Accept 
congratulations  and  pledge  of  earnest  support.” 
[Applause.]  I rejoice  most  heartily  in  this  nom- 
ination. General  Ga.rfield  is  a man  of  rare  force 
of  character,  of  wide  attainments,  of  great  simpli- 
city, and  a man  who  adheres  as  firmly  as  a true 
party  man  ever  did  to  his  personal  convictions, 
and  our  friends  on  the  other  side,  in  the  dejection 
which  now  overcomes  them,  while  a bad  nomina- 
tion for  them  is  possible,  will  find  satisfaction  in 
knowing  that  they  know  the  man  to  be  one  who 
will  administer  the  government  faithfully,  fairly 
and  patriotically  after  we  shall  have  inaugurated 
him.  [Applause.] 

The  chair  appointed  Kelley,  Robeson,  Browne, 
Martin  (N.  C.),  Page,  Richardson  (N.  Y.),  and 
Henderson  (Illinois)  as  the  committee  to  send  a 
congratulatory  telegram  to  Garfield. 

The  happiness  of  the  people  was  everywhere 
echoed  by  the  press.  The  New  York  Tribune 
said: 

“ With  its  best  judgment  the  Tribune  approves, 
with  its  heartiest  enthusiasm  the  Tribune  applauds 
the  work  of  the  Chicago  Convention.  With 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


497 


whatever  power  it  possesses  it  will  commend  that 
work  to  the  people,  and  labor  unceasingly  for  a 
triumphant  ratification  at  the  polLs.” 

The  staunch  old  Boston  Advertiser , represent- 
ing the  best  element  of  the  Republican  party  in 
New  England,  thus  spoke  for  its  constituents  : 

“The  Republican  party  has  a candidate  for  Presi- 
dent of  whom  it  may  be  proud,  a man  of  ability, 
experience  and  conscience.  The  nomination  of 
General  Garfield  cannot  be  too  heartily  welcomed 
by  all  who  have  the  good  of  the  party  and  of  the 
country  at  heart,  not  merely  as  the  most  satisfac- 
tory solution  of  the  situation  that  was  much  to  be 
regretted,  but  as  one  thoroughly  good  in  itself. 
The  nomination  that  has  been  made  gives  no  such 
triumph  to  either  of  the  supposed  factions,  as  will 
excuse  the  other  for  manifesting  the  least  hesita- 
tion in  accepting  the  result.  General  Garfield  is 
not  a man  to  excite  antagonism.  He  has  not  al- 
lied himself  with  any  factional  party,  except  as  the 
supporter  of  the  distinguished  gentleman  wrho  was 
presented  by  his  State.  His  name  may  well  be 
the  symbol  of  union  and  harmony  which  his  can- 
didacy will  secure.  General  Garfield  is  a politi- 
cian of  the  best  sort— -a  man  with  conscience. 
He  is  under  obligations  to  no  corps  of  workers 
for  his  nomination.  He  is  bound  by  no  pledge  of 
any  sort.  He  is  tied  t-o  no  clique.  He  wall  be  a 
candidate  of  the  vrhole  Republican  party,  and 
President  of  the  United  States.” 


493 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


The  New  York  Grant  organ,  the  Times , took 
this  position : 

“The  Chicago  Convention  has  followed  sundry 
familiar  precedents  in  failing  to  select  the  strong- 
est of  the  candidates  presented  to  it.  But  from 
the  second  rank  of  available  Republicans  it  has 
made  a very  excellent  choice  and  one  which  has 
the  great  merit  of  uniting  all  sections  of  the  party 
for  a harmonious,  aggressive  and  probably  suc- 
cessful. campaign.  James  A.  Garfield  has  been 
too  long  in  public  life  to  have  escaped  injurious 
allegations  against  his  personal  character  and  bit- 
ter attacks  upon  his  political  course,  but  he  is 
strong  in  his  freedom  from  intrigue  to  gain  the 
nomination  and  in  being  able  to  accept  it  abso- 
lutely free  from  disreputable  alliances  or  embar- 
rassing pledges.  There  are  no  bolters,  scratchers 
or  independents  who  bear  the  Republican  name 
who  cannot  earnestly  work  and  honestly  vote  for 
General  Garfield,  and  there  is  no  thorough-going 
Republican  who  will  not  accept  him  as  a fit  repre- 
sentative of  party  principles,  a faithful  depository 
of  the  party  trust.  Whatever  wounds  may  have 
been  left  by  the  nomination  of  the  candidate  for 
President,  in  virtue  of  a combination  between  the 
elements  opposed  to  General  Grant,  ought  to  be 
healed  by  the  nomination  for  Vice-President  of 
that  stalwart  and  steadfast  Grant  supporter,  Ches- 
ter A.  Arthur.  The  Times  recognizes  in  him  a man 
eminently  worthy  of  a wider  sphere  for  his  ability.” 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


499 


The  Cincinnati  Gazette  voiced  Ohio : 

“ This  decision,  although  quickly  executed,  was 
the  most  rational  and,  in  our  view,  the  most  suc- 
cessful conclusion  of  the  situation.  It  was  no 
blind  impulse,  no  recourse  of  reckless  disappoint- 
ment, no  effort  of  revenge,  no  blindfold  saddling 
of  a dark  horse,  no  trifling  with  the  fate  of  the 
party  by  hasty  resentment,  no  leap  in  the  dark, 
no  straining  of  the  allegiance  of  intelligent  Repub- 
licans by  jerking  into  the  nomination  a man  un- 
known to  fame ; it  was  the  nomination  of  a man  of 
national  reputation,  whose  abilities  have  earned 
him  the  recognized  place  of  leader  of  the  House 
of  Representatives ; of  a man  than  whom  no  one 
could  better  harmonize  all  the  contending  factions 
in  the  convention ; a man  who  is  the  peer  of  any, 
who  is  himself  a part  of  all  that  is  good  and  glork 
ous  in  the  history  of  the  Republican  party,  who 
deserves  all  the  honor  that  belongs  to  the  patriotic 
and  successful  soldier,  who  was  a statesman  thor- 
oughly identified  with  all  civil  institutions  before 
he  left  a successful  political  career  to  serve  his  coun- 
try in  war,  and  who  has  in  his  character  and  pub- 
lic services  as  much  of  those  qualities  which  draw 
the  intelligent  enthusiasm  of  the  people  for  the 
man  they  have  chosen  for  leader  as  any  man 
whom  either  of  the  several  parties  in  the  conven- 
tion could  have  named.  Therefore  do  we  hail  the 
nomination  as  a great  deliverance  and  as  a regen- 
erating triumph  for  the  Republican  party.” 


5°o 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


From  the  Chicago  Times  came  this  outburst: 

“ In  the  language  of  the  politicians,  the  nomina- 
tion  of  Mr.  Garfield  is  a strong  one,  an  uncom- 
monly  strong  one.  It  is  one  that  brings  together 
and  unites  all  the  lately  hostile  factions  of  the 
party  and  removes  all  the  bitterness  engendered 
by  the  fierce  contest  among  rival  aspirants  that 
must  have  had  effect  on  the  result  had  the  nomina- 
tion fallen  to  any  one  of  them.  It  preordains  the 
electoral  decision  in- Ohio  and  makes  Indiana  de- 
batable ground,  even  with  the  strongest  man  the 
opposite  party  could  present.  It  satisfies  the 
hard-money  sentiment  at  the  East,  for  Mr.  Gar- 
field is  a supporter  of  an  honest  money  system, 
no  less  positive  and  uncompromising  than  Gen- 
eral Grant.  Moreover,  his  election  most  probably 
would  continue  Mr.  Sherman  at  the  head  of  the 
Treasury,  a consideration  of  much  importance  to 
commercial  and  business  interests.  Those  who 
imagine  that  Mr.  Garfield  is  a candidate  to  be 
easily  defeated  will  find  that  they  are  under  a 
serious  delusion.  His  nomination  is  a much 
stronger  one  than  that  of  Grant,  or  Blaine,  or 
Sherman  would  have  been.  It  is  doubtful,  indeed, 
if  the  convention  could  have  named  a more  avail- 
able man.” 

The  Tribtine , a strong  Blaine  paper,  answered 
for  the  country  in  this  way: 

“From  one  end  of  the  nation  to  the  other,  from 
distant  Oregon  to  Texas,  from  Maine  to  Arizona, 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


501 


lightning  has  informed  the  country  of  the  nomina- 
tion yesterday  of  General  James  A.  Garfield,  as  the 
Republican  candidate  for  the  Presidency.  Never 
was  a nomination  made  which  has  been  received 
by  friend  and  foe  with  such  evidence  of  hearty  re- 
spect, admiration  and  confidence.  The  applause 
is  universal.  Even  the  Democratic  House  of 
Representatives  suspended  its  business  that  it 
might  congratulate  the  country  upon  the  nomina- 
tion of  the  distinguished  leader  of  the  Republi- 
cans. James  Abraham  Garfield  is,  in  the  popular 
mind,  one  of  the  foremost  statesmen  of  the  na- 
tion. He  is  comparatively  a young  man,  but  in 
his  service  he  commands  the  confidence  and  ad- 
miration of  his  countrymen  of  all  parties.  His 
ability,  his  thorough  study  and  his  long  practical 
experience  in  political  matters  gives  an  assurance 
to  the  country  that  he  will  carry  to  the  Presiden- 
tial office  a mind  superior,  because  of  its  natural 
qualifications  and  training,  to  any  that  has  pre- 
ceded him  for  many  years.  He  will  be  a Presi- 
dent worthy  in  every  sense  to  fill  the  office 
in  a way  that  the  country  will  like  to  see  it  filled — 
with  ability,  learning,  experience  and  integrity. 
That  General  Garfield  will  be  elected  we  have  no 
question.  He  is  a candidate  worthy  of  election, 
and  will  command  not  only  every  Republican  vote 
in  the  country,  but  the  support  of  tens  of  thou- 
sands of  non-partisans  who  want  to  see  a Presi- 
dent combining  intellectual  ability  with  learning, 
experience  and  ripe  statesmanship.” 


502 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


In  the  other  centres  of  the  political  and  social 
life  of  the  land,  the  same  flattering  reception  was 
accorded  the  ticket.  Many  distinguished  men 
spoke  of  it  heartily,  commending  the  statesman 
at  its  head.  We  have  not,  unfortunately,  space  to 
print  what  was  said.  The  nominee’s  old  com- 
mander, General  Rosecrans,  remarked  on  hearing 
the  news:  “I  consider  General  Garfield  head  and 
shoulders  above  any  of  the  men  named  before  the 
convention,  and  far  superior  to  any  of  the  politi- 
cal managers  upon  the  floor.  He  is  a man  with 
broad  views,  has  always  been  a consistent  Repub- 
lican, and  has  a clean  record.  I cannot  believe 
that  James  A.  Garfield  was  ever  guilty  of  a dis- 
honest act.  As  the  campaign  progresses,  it  will 
be  found,  if  it  is  not  now  acknowledged,  that  Gar- 
field is  a hard  man  to  beat.” 

Mr.  W.  D.  Howells,  the  editor  of  the  Atlantic 
Monthly,  wrote  us  : “ Among  all  the  classes  whom 
his  nomination  has  gratified,  I think  the  literary 
class  is  first.  We  feel  that  all  the  good  things 
which  the  Hayes’  administration  has  done  for 
humanity  and  civilization  will  find  their  continu- 
ance and  furtherance  in  his,  and  that  he  will  per- 
petuate the  order  of  perfect  honesty,  intelligence 
and  decency  which  Mr.  Hayes  has  established  in 
public  life.  I may  tell  you  that  Mr.  Longfellow  has 
repeatedly  expressed  his  pleasure  in  Garfield’s 
nomination.  I had  once  the  fortune  to  bring  them 
together,  and  Mr.  Longfellow  was  strongly  im- 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


5°3 


pressed  with  the  fine  and  generous  qualities,  men- 
tal and  moral,  which  every  one  recognizes  in  the 
candidate  of  our  party.” 

At  Williams  College  the  students  went  wild 
over  the  nomination,  and  within  twenty-four  hours 
after  the  result  was  announced,  a Garfield  club 
was  organized,  with  a membership  of  three  hun- 
dred. A ratification  meeting-  was  held  in  the  even- 
ing,  and  the  students  sang,  as  a chorus  to  “March- 
ing through  Georgia,”  the  following: 

“ Hurrah. ! hurrah  ! we’ll  shout  for  General  G. ! 

Hurrah  ! hurrah  ! a Williams  man  was  he, 

And  so  we’ll  sing  the  chorus  from  old  Williams  to  the  sea, 

And  we’ll  cast  a vote  for  General  Garfield.” 

We  have  sampled  the  enthusiasm  of  the  coun- 
try for  the  nominee,  as  it  appeared  in  various 
forms,  and  it  will  not  seem  mal  a propos  if  we  con- 
clude this  chapter  with  a song  that  Garfield’s  nomi- 
nation called  forth  from  Mr.  W.  O.  Stoddard,  in 
allusion  to  Garfield’s  remark  at  the  battle  of  Mid- 
dle Creek : 

“ In  one  hot  fight  that  Garfield  won, 

The  loyal-souled  commander 
Sent  back  a word  among  his  men 
That  stirred  up  all  their  dander. 

“ He  was  not  quite  so  fast  to  cuss 
And  swear  around  as  some  be. 

And  all  he  said  was,  ‘ Come  on  boys ! 

We’ll  give  ’em  Hail  Columby  !’ 

“ He  led,  they  followed,  spreading  wide 
Among  the  rebels  routed, 

From  rank  to  rank,  in  liberal  gift, 

The  self-same  thing  he  shouted. 


30 


504 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OP 


“ Year  after  year,  a leader  still, 

In  camp,  and  field,  and  forum, 

His  feet  beside  his  colors  tread 
As  when  the  bullets  tore  ’em. 

“ Year  after  year  upon  his  lips, 

Through  every  contest  ringing, 

The  men  who  follow  hear,  as  when 
The  shells  were  o’er  him  singing. 

“ The  words  that  harsh  to  many  an  eat* 
But  bugle-sweet  to  some  be ; 

For  peace  or  war  a charging-cry, 

‘ Boys,  give  ’em  Hail  Columby  1’  ” 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD . 


505 


CHAPTER  XXXIV. 


■ A TOUR  OF  TRIUMPH. 

THE  great  result  achieved,  the  nominee 
placed  before  the  country,  the  nation 
begun  to  demonstrate  its  satisfaction  at 
the  selection.  From  the  hall  of  the  convention 
the  tide  of  congratulation  followed  General  Gar- 
field  to  his  hotel.  It  had  been  announced  that  he 
would  leave  Chicago  for  home  at  five  o’clock  P.  M., 
and  General  Butterworth  was  assigned  the  duty  of 
providing  a procession  to  accompany  him  to  the 
station.  Wisconsin,  the  first  State  to  break  for 
him,  volunteered  cheerfully,  and  the  thousands  of 
Ohioans  in  town  were  no  less  ready.  A band 
was  provided,  and  everything  was  prepared,  when 
the  general  decided  to  stay  until  morning.  In 
order  to  avoid  the  press  of  congratulations,  he 
engaged  parlors  on  another  corridor,  the  knowl- 
edge of  which  was  confined  to  a few.  The  Wis- 
consin  delegates,  however,  became  apprised  of  it, 
and  soon  a throng  hundreds  strong  was  marching- 
through  the  rooms  for  the  purpose  of  shaking 
hands  with  the  distinguished  man  who  was  the 
centre  of  all  interest. 

Among  the  callers  was  a tall,  somewhat  intoxi- 


5°6 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


cated  Ohioan,  who,  not  content  with  a shake  of 
the  general’s  hand,  threw  himself  upon  the  neck 
of  the  astonished  candidate  as  though  he  had 
found  his  long-lost  brother.  “ I do  it,  general, 
because  I love  you  so.  I can’t  help  it,”  he  re- 
peated several  times  before  he  relinquished  his 
close  embrace.  “The  old  Forty-second  Ohio  is 
having  things  her  own  way.  A’int  she  ?”  he  ex- 
claimed enthusiastically,  making  a movement 
toward  repeating  the  embrace.  The  general  de- 
clined with  dignity.  One  of  the  Ohio  men  came 
up  wearing  the  red  badge,  which  had  already 
been  struck  off,  bearing  the  words  : “ For  Presi- 

dent, James  A.  Garfield.”  The  wearer  called  the 
attention  of  the  owner  of  the  name.  “ That  re- 
minds me  of  a saying  of  Holmes,”  the  general 
said.  “He  wrote  that  three  things  require  age — 
wine,  meerschaum  pipes  and  poetry.  That  badge 
might  be  added  to  the  list.  It’s  too  new  yet.  I 
can’t  realize  it.”  When  asked  if  he  would  re- 
spond to  the  demands  that  were  already  coming 
in  for  a speech,  he  said,  “ There  is  not  power 
enough  in  Chicago  to  draw  a speech  out  of  me 
to-day.” 

In  the  evening,  after  the  second  place  on  the 
ticket  had  been  filled,  in  deference  to  the  wishes 
of  many  delegates,  the  general  held  a reception. 
A magnificent  stand  of  flowers  was  upon  the 
table,  and  beside  this  the  nominee  stood  for  an 
hour.  The  stream  of  congratulations  was  inces- 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


507 


sant — many  ladies  in  elaborate  evening  toilette 
adding  brilliancy  to  the  event,  and  vieing  with  the 
men  in  the  fervor  of  their  declarations  of  satis- 
faction. In  accepting  the  congratulations,  the 
general  bore  himself  with  quiet  dignity,  seldom 
extending  his  replies  beyond  the  hope  that  the 
nomination  might  prove  acceptable  to  the  Repub- 
lican party  and  the  country.  Later  a serenade 
was  tendered  him,  for  which  he  merely  bowed  his 
thanks. 

Near  midnight,  Senator  Hoar,  at  the  head  of 
the  committee  appointed  to  notify  General  Gar- 
field, appeared  at  the  Grand  Pacific,  and  notifying 
the  general  of  his  nomination,  received  the  follow- 
ing reply : 

“ Mr.  Chairman  and  Gentlemen  : I assure  you 
that  the  information  you  have  officially  given  to 
me  brings  the  sense  of  very  grave  responsibility, 
and  especially  so  in  view  of  the  fact  that  I was  a 
member  of  your  body,  a fact  that  could  not  have 
existed  with  propriety  had  I had  the  slightest  ex- 
pectation that  my  name  would  be  connected  with 
the  nomination  for  the  office.  I have  felt,  with 
you,  great  solicitude  concerning  the  situation  of 
our  party  during  the  struggle ; but,  believing  that 
you  are  correct  in  assuring  me  that  substantial 
unity  has  been  reached  in  the  conclusion,  it  gives 
me  a gratification  far  ’greater  than  any  personal 
pleasure  your  announcement  can  bring. 

“ I accept  the  trust  committed  to  my  hands.  As 


5°8 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


to  the  work  of  our  party,  and  as  to  the  character 
of  the  campaign  to  be  entered  upon,  I will  take 
an  early  occasion  to  reply  more  fully  than  I can 
properly  do  to-night. 

“ I thank  you  for  the  assurances  of  confidence 
and  esteem  you  have  presented  to  me,  and  hope 
we  shall  see  our  future  as  promising  as  are  indi- 
cations to-night.” 

The  next  morning,  General  Garfield  started  for 
home.  From  the  hotel  to  the  station  it  was  a con- 
stant ovation.  He  left  for  Cleveland  in  a special  car, 
accompanied  by  a number  of  intimate  personal 
friends,  among  whom  were  Governor  Charles  Fos- 
ter, of  Ohio;  S.  T.  Everett,  President  of  the  Second 
National  Bank  of  Cleveland;  General  Joseph  Bar- 
rett, an  old  military  friend  of  General  Garfield,  he 
having  been  chief  of  artillery  in  the  armies  of  Rose- 
crans  and  Thomas;  Colonel  D.  G.  Swain,  Judge 
Advocate  of  the  United  States  Army,  formerly 
of  the  Forty-second  Ohio  Volunteers  (Garfield’s 
regiment)  ; Lieutenant-Colonel  L.  A.  Sheldon, 
Mayor  W.  H.  Williams  and  Captain  Charles  T. 
Henry,  all  of  whom  were  also  officers  of  Garfield’s 
regiment.  At  Laporte,  Indiana,  the  first  stopping 
place  of  any  consequence,  many  hundreds  of  peo- 
ple, with  a brass  band,  had  collected  to  salute  him 
as  he  passed.  Governor  Foster  introduced  him, 
and  he  was  received  with  deafening  cheers.  At 
South  Bend,  at  Elkhart,  at  Goshen,  at  Kendal- 
ville,  at  Waterloo  and  at  Butler,  the  scenes  were 


Reception  of  General  Garfield  at  the  Depot. 


1 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


5" 

repeated,  the  theme — honor  to  Garfield — being 
ever  the  same.  Crossing  into  Ohio,  at  Edgerton 
the  greetings  broke  out  afresh.  When  he  reached 
Cleveland,  an  immense  demonstration  awaited  his 
arrival,  and  the  whole  city  was  alive  with  a glad 
enthusiasm.  Among  the  first  of  his  callers  there 
was  the  Hon.  Henry  W.  Payne. 

Just  before  he  left  for  Chicago  he  promised  to 
deliver  an  address  at  the  commencement  exer- 
cises of  Hiram  College.  The  morning-  after  his 

o O 

arrival  in  Cleveland  he  journeyed  quietly  to  the 
little  village  of  Hiram,  the  modest  little  town 
where  he  had  been  a bell-ringer,  and  a student, 
and  a college  president.  Here  he  met  his  wife, 
for  the  first  time  since  the  acquirement  of  his  latest 
and  greatest  honor,  and  at  the  very  house  where 
their  acquaintance  began.  It  was  a touching 
meeting ; his  wife,  his  children,  the  students  and 
old  friends  gathered  about  him.  Baring  his  head, 
the  great  statesman  said  : 

“Fellow-citizens,  Old  Neighbors  and  Friends 
of  Many  Years  : It  has  always  given  me  pleasure 
to  come  back  here  and  look  upon  these  faces.  It 
has  always  given  me  new  courage  and  new  friends, 
for  it  has  brought  back  a large  share  of  that  rich- 
ness which  belongs  to  those  things  out  of  which 
come  the  joys  of  life. 

“While  sitting  here  this  afternoon,  watching 
your  faces  and  listening  to  the  very  interesting 
address  which  has  just  been  delivered,  it  has  oc- 


5J2 


LIRE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


curred  to  me  that  the  least  thing  you  have,  that 
all  men  have  enough  of,  is  perhaps  the  thing  that 
you  care  for  the  least,  and  that  is  your  leisure — 
the  leisure  you  have  to  think ; the  leisure  you 
have  to  be  let  alone ; the  leisure  you  have  to 
throw  the  plummet  into  your  mind,  and  sound  the 
depth  and  dive  for  things  below;  the  leisure  you 
have  to  walk  about  the  towers  yourself,  and  find 
how  strong  they  are  or  how  weak  they  are,  to  de- 
termine what  needs ' building  up;  how  to  work 
and  how  to  know  all  that  shall  make  you  the 
final  beings  you  are  to  be.  Oh,  these  hours  of 
building  ! 

“If  the  Superior  Being  of  the  universe  would 
look  down  upon  the  world  to  find  the  most  inter- 
esting object,  it  would  be  the  unfinished,  unformed 
character  of  the  young  man  or  young  woman. 
Those  behind  me  have  probably  in  the  main  set- 
tled this  question.  Those  who  have  passed  into 
middle  manhood  and  middle  womanhood  are 
about  what  they  shall  always  be,  and  there  is  but 
little  left  of  interest,  as  their  characters  are  all 
developed. 

“But  to  your  young  and  your  yet  unformed 
natures,  no  man  knows  the  possibilities  that  lie 
before  you  in  your  hearts  and  intellects;  and, 
while  you  are  working  out  the  possibilities  with 
that  splendid  leisure  that  you  need,  you  are  to  be 
most  envied.  I congratulate  you  on  your  leisure. 
I commend  you  to  treat  it  as  your  gold,  as  your 


General  Garfield  Addressing  the  People. 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


515 


wealth,  as  your  treasure,  out  of  which  you  can 
draw  all  possible  treasures  that  can  be  laid  down 
when  you  have  your  natures  unfolded  and  devel- 
oped in  the  possibilities  of  the  future. 

“This  place  is  too  full  of  memories  for  me  to 
trust  myself  to  speak  upon,  and  I will  not.  But 
I draw  again  to-day,  as  I have  for  a quarter  of  a 
century,  life,  evidence  of  strength,  confidence  and 
affection  from  the  people  who  gather  in  this  place. 
I thank  you  for  the  permission  to  see  you  and 
meet  you  and  greet  you  as  I have  done  to-day.” 

After  a few  days  of  rest  at  his  winter  home, 

General  Garfield  journeyed  on  to  Washington,  and 

everywhere  along  the  route  he  was  received  with 

enthusiasm.  The  nioflit  after  he  arrived  he  was 
<_> 

serenaded  at  his  hotel,  and  the  response  to  the 
cheers  which  his  presence  evoked  from  the  crowd, 
was  in  these  words: 

“ Fellow-citizens  : While  I have  looked  upon 
this  great  array,  I believe  I have  gotten  a new 
idea  of  the  majesty  of  the  American  people 
When  I reflect  that  wherever  you  find  sovereign 
power  every  reverent  heart  on  this  earth  bows 
before  it,  and  when  I remember  that  here  for  a 
hundred  years  we  have  denied  the  sovereignty  of 
any  man,  and  in  place  of  it  we  have  asserted  the 
sovereignty  of  all  in  place  of  one,  I see  before  me 
so  vast  a concourse  that  it  is  easy  for  me  to 
imagine  that  the  rest  of  the  American  people  are, 
gathered  here  to-night,  and  if  they  were  all  here. 


JJ  ! 6 LIFE  AMD  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 

every  man  would  stand  uncovered,  all  in  unsan- 
daled feet  in  presence  of  the  majesty  of  the  only 
sovereign  power  in  this  Government  under  Al- 
mighty God.  [Cheers.]  And,  therefore,  to  this 
great  audience  I pay  the  respectful  homage  that 
in  part  belongs  to  the  sovereignty  of  the  people. 
I thank  you  for  this  great  and  glorious  demonstra- 
tion. I am  not,  for  one  moment,  misled  into  be- 
lieving that  it  refers  to  so  poor  a thing  as  any  one 
of  our  number.  I know  it  means  your  reverence 
for  your  Government,  your  reverence  for  its  laws, 
your  reverence  for  its  institutions,  and  your  com- 
pliment to  one  who  is  placed  for  a moment  in 
relations  to  you  of  peculiar  importance.  For  all 
these  reasons  I thank  you.  I cannot  at  this  time 
utter  a word  on  the  subject  of  general  politics.  I 
would  not  mar  the  cordiality  of  this  welcome,  to 
which  to  some  extent  all  are  gathered,  by  any 
reference  except  to  the  present  moment  and  its 
significance  ; but  I wish  to  say  that  a large  portion 
of  this  assemblage  to-night  are  my  comrades,  late 
of  the  war  for  the  Union.  For  them  I can  speak 
with  entire  propriety,  and  can  say  that  these  very 
streets  heard  the  measured  tread  of  your  dis- 
ciplined feet,  years  ago,  when  the  imperiled  Re- 
public needed  your  hands  and  your  hearts  to  save 
it,  and  you  came  back  with  your  numbers  deci- 
mated ; but  those  you  left  behind  were  immortal 
and  glorified  heroes  forever;  and  those  you 
brought  back  came,  carrying  under  tattered  ban- 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


517 


ners  and  in  bronze  hands  the  ark  of  the  covenant 
of  your  Republic  in  safety  out  of  the  bloody  bap  - 
tism of  the  war  [cheers],  and  you  brought  it  in 
safety  to  be  saved  forever  by  your  valor  and  the 
wisdom  of  your  brethren  who  were  at  home,  and 
by  this  you  were  again  added  to  the  great  civil 
army  of  the  Republic.  I greet  you,  comrades  and 
fellow-soldiers,  and  the  great  body  of  distinguished 
citizens  who  are  gathered  here  to-night,  who  are 
the  strong  stay  and  support  of  the  business,  of  the 
prosperity,  of  the  peace,  of  the  civic  ardor  and 
glory  of  the  Republic,  and  I thank  you  for  your 
welcome  to-night.  It  was  said  in  a welcome  to 
one  who  came  to  England  to  be  a part  of  her 
glory — and  all  the  nation  spoke  when  it  was  said : 

“ ‘ Normans  and  Saxons  and  Danes  are  we, 

But  all  of  us  Danes  in  our  welcome  of  thee.’ 

“And  we  say  to-night,  of  all  nations,  of  all  the 
people,  soldiers  and  civilians,  there  is  one  name 
that  welds  us  all  into  one.  It  is  the  name  of 
American  citizen,  under  the  union  and  under  the 
glory  of  the  flag  that  led  us  to  victory  and  to 
peace.  [Applause.]  For  this  magnificent  wel- 
come I thank  you  with  all  there  is  in  my  heart.” 

On  the  night  following  he  was  tendered  a 
grand  banquet,  and  the  day  after  he  returned  to 
Mentor  for  rest. 

Not  for  long,  however,  as  on  July  3d  he  was 
present  at  the  dedication  of  the  Soldiers’  Monu- 


2 i 8 LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 

ment  at  Painesville,  where  he  delivered  the  follow- 
ing magnificent  address : 

“ Fellow-citizens  : I cannot  fail  to  respond  on 
such  an  occasion  in  sight  of  such  a monument  to 
such  a cause,  sustained  by  such  men.  [Applause 
and  cheers.]  While  I have  listened  to  what  my 
friend  has  said,  two  questions  have  been  sweep- 
ing through  my  heart.  One  was,  ‘ What  does  the 
monument  mean  ?’  and  the  other,  ‘ What  will  the 
monument  teach  ?’  Let  me  try  and  ask  you  for  a 
moment,  to  help  me  answer  what  does  the  monu- 
ment mean.  Oh  ! the  monument  means  a world 
of  memories,  a world  of  deeds,  and  a world  of 
tears,  and  a world  of  glories.  You  know,  thous- 
ands know,  what  it  is  to  offer  up  your  life  to  the 
country,  and  that  is  no  small  thing,  as  every 
soldier  knows.  Let  me  put  the  question  to  you  : 
For  a moment  suppose  your  country  in  the  aw- 
fully embodied  form  of  majestic  law,  should  stand 
above  you  and  say : ‘ I want  your  life.  Come  up 
here  on  the  platform  and  offer  it.’  How  many 
would  walk  up  before  that  majestic  presence  and 
say,  ‘ Here  I am,  take  this  life  and  use  it  for  your 
great  needs.’  [Applause.]  And  yet  almost  two  mil- 
lions of  men  made  that  answer  [applause],  and  a 
monument  stands  yonder  to  commemorate  their 
answer.  That  is  one  of  its  meanings.  But,  my 
friends,  let  me  try  you  a little  further.  To  give 
up  life  is  much,  for  it  is  to  give  up  wife,  and  home, 
and  child,  and  ambition.  But  let  me  test  you  this 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


519 


way  further.  Suppose  this  awfully  majestic  form 
should  call  out  to  you,  and  say,  ‘ I ask  you  to  give 
up  health  and  drag  yourself,  not  dead,  but  half 
alive,  through  a miserable  existence  for  long 
years,  until  you  perish  and  die  in  your  crippled 
and  hopeless  condition.  I ask  you  to  volunteer 
to  do  that,’  and  it  calls  for  a higher  reach  of 
patriotism  and  self-sacrifice,  but  hundreds  of 
thousands  of  you  soldiers  did  that.  That  is  what 
the  monument  means  also.  But  let  me  ask  you 
to  go  one  step  further.  Suppose  your  country 
should  say,  ‘ Come  here,  on  this  platform,  and  in 
my  name,  and  for  my  sake,  consent  to  be  idiots. 
[Voice — ‘ Hear  hear.’]  Consent  that  your  very 
brain  and  intellect  shall  be  broken  down  into  hope- 
less idiocy  for  my  sake.’  How  many  could  be 
found  to  make  that  venture  ? And  yet  there  are 
thousands,  and  that  with  their  eyes  wide  open  to 
the  horrible  consequences,  obeyed  that  call. 

“And  let  me  tell  how  one  hundred  thou- 
sand of  our  soldiers  were  prisoners  of  war,  and 
to  many  of  them  when  death  was  stalking  near, 
when  famine  was  climbing  up  into  their  hearts, 
and  idiocy  was  threatening  all  that  was  left  of 
their  intellects,  the  gates  of  their  prison  stood 
open  every  day,  if  they  would  quit,  desert  their  flag 
and  enlist  under  the  flag  of  the  enemy,  and  out  of 
one  hundred  and  eighty  thousand  not  two  per  cent, 
ever  received  the  liberation  from  death,  starvation 
and  all  that  might  come  to  them;  but  they  took 


520 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


all  these  horrors  and  all  these  sufferings  in  pre- 
ference to  going  back  upon  the  flag  of  their  coun- 
try and  the  glory  of  its  truth.  [Applause.]  Great 
God ! was  ever  such  measure  of  patriotism  reached* 
by  any  man  on  this  earth  before?  [Applause.] 
That  is  what  your  monument  means.  By  the 
subtle  chemistry  that  no  man  knows,  all  the  blood 
that  was  shed  by  our  brethren,  all  the  lives  that 
were  devoted,  all  the  grief  that  was  felt,  at  last 
crystallized  itself  into' granite  rendered  immortal, 
the  great  truth  for  which  they  died  [applause], 
and  it  stands  there  to-day,  and  that  is  what  your 
monument  means. 

“Now,  what  does  it  teach?  What  will  it  teach? 
Why,  I remember  the  story  of  one  of  the  old  con- 
querors of  Greece,  who,  when  he  had  traveled  in 
his  boyhood  over  the  battle-fields  where  Miltiades 
had  won  victories  and  set  up  trophies,  returning 
he  said:  ‘These  trophies  of  Miltiades  will  never 
let  me  sleep.’  Why,  something  had  taught  him 
from  the  chiseled  stone  a lesson  that  he  could  never 
forget,  and,  fellow-citizens,  that  silent  sentinel,  that 
crowned  granite  column  will  look  down  upon  the 
boys  that  will  walk  these  streets  for  generations 
to  come,  and  will  not  let  them  sleep  when  their 
country  calls  them.  [Applause.]  More  than  the 
bugler  on  the  field  from  his  dead  lips  will  go  out 
a call  that  the  children  of  Lake  County  will  hear 
after  the  grave  has  covered  us  all  and  our  imme- 
diate children.  That  is  the  teaching  of  your 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


521 


monument.  That  is  its  lesson,  and  it  is  the  lesson 
of  endurance  for  what  we  believe,  and  it  is  the 
lesson  of  sacrifices  for  what  we  think — the  lesson 
of  heroism  for  what  we  mean  to  sustain — and  that 
lesson  cannot  be  lost  to  a people  like  this.  It  is 
not  a lesson  of  revenge,  it  is  not  a lesson  of 
wrath,  it  is  the  grand,  sweet,  broad  lesson  of  the 
immortality  of  the  truth  that  we  hope  will  soon 
cover  as  with  the  grand  Shekinah  of  light  and 
glory  all  parts  of  this  Republic,  from  the  lakes 
to  the  gulf.  [Applause.]  I once  entered  a house 
in  old  Massachusetts  where,  over  its  doors, 
were  two  crossed  swords.  One  was  the  sword 
carried  by  the  grandfather  of  its  owner  on 
the  field  of  Bunker  Hill  and  the  other  was  the 
sword  carried  by . the  English  grandsire  of  the 
wife,  on  the  same  field  and  on  the  other  side 
of  the  conflict.  Under  those  crossed  swords,  in 
the  restored  harmony  of  domestic  peace,  lived 
a happy,  and  contented,  and  free  family,  under 
the  light  of  our  republican  liberties.  [Applause] 
I trust  the  time  is  not  far  distant  when,  under 
the  crossed  swords  and  the  locked  shields  of 
Americans  North  and  South,  our  people  shall 
sleep  in  peace  and  rise  in  liberty,  love  and  har- 
mony under  the  union  of  our  flag  of  the  Stars 
and  Stripes.” 

Once  more  he  comes  before  the  country,  his 
latest  words,  in  the  following  sterling  pronuncia- 
miento  of  Republican  doctrines  and  belief,  his 


522 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  UF 


letter  of  acceptance,  which  was  given  to  the  public 
July  i 2th. 

Mentor,  Ohio,  July  ioth,  1880. — Dear  Sir:  On 
the  evening  of  the  8th  of  June  last  I had  the 
honor  to  receive  from  you,  in  the  presence  of  the 
committee  of  which  you  were  chairman,  the  offi- 
cial announcement  that  the  Republican  National 
Convention  at  Chicago  had  that  day  nominated 
me  for  their  candidate  for  President  of  the  United 
States.  I accept  the  nomination  with  gratitude 
for  the  confidence  it  implies  and  with  a deep  sense 
of  the  responsibilities  it  imposes.  I cordially  in- 
dorse the  principles  set  forth  in  the  platform 
adopted  by  the  convention.  On  nearly  all  the 
subjects  of  which  it  treats  my  opinions  are  on 
record  among  the  published  proceedings  of  Con- 
gress. I venture,  however,  to  make  special  mention 
of  some  of  the  principal  topics  which  are  likely  to 
become  subjects  of  discussion,  without  reviewing 
the  controversies  which  have  been  settled  during 
the  last  twenty  years,  and  with  no  purpose  or 
wish  to  revive  the  passions  of  the  late  war.  It 
should  be  said  that  while  Republicans  fully  recog- 
nize and  will  strenuously  defend  all  the  rights 
retained  by  the  people  and  all  the  rights  reserved 
to  the  States,  they  reject  the  pernicious  doctrine 
of  State  supremacy  which  so  long  crippled  the 
functions  of  the  National  Government  and  at  one 
time  brought  the  Union  very  near  to  destruction. 
They  insist  that  the  United  States  is  a nation, 
with  ample  power  of  self-preservation ; that  its 
Constitution  and  laws  made  in  pursuance  thereof 
are  the  supreme  law  of  the  land ; that  the  right 
of  the  nation  to  determine  the  method  by  which 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


523 


its  own  legislature  shall  be  created  cannot  be  sur- 
rendered without  abdicating  one  of  the  funda- 
mental powers  of  the  Government ; that  the 
national  laws  relating  to  the  election  of  represent- 
atives in  Congress  shall  neither  be  violated  nor 
evaded ; that  every  elector  shall  be  permitted 
freely  and  without  intimidation  to  cast  his  lawful 
ballot  at  such  election  and  have  it  honestly 
counted,  and  that  the  potency  of  his  vote  shall  not 
be  destroyed  by  the  fraudulent  vote  of  any  other 
person.  The  best  thoughts  and  energies  of  our  peo- 
ple should  be  directed  to  those  great  questions  of 
national  well-being  in  which  we  all  have  a com- 
mon interest.  Such  efforts  will  soonest  restore 
perfect  peace  to  those  who  were  lately  in  arms 
against  each  other,  for  justice  and  good-will  will 
outlast  passion ; but  it  is  certain  that  the 
wounds  cannot  be  completely  healed  and  the 
spirit  of  brotherhood  cannot  fully  pervade  the 
whole  country  until  every  one  of  our  citizens, 
rich  or  poor,  white  or  black,  is  secure  in  the  free 
and  equal  enjoyment  of  every  civil  and  political 
right  guaranteed  by  the  Constitution  and  the 
laws.  Wherever  the  enjoyment  of  this  right  is 
not  assured  discontent  will  prevail,  immigration 
will  cease,  and  the  social  and  industrial  forces  will 
continue  to  be  disturbed  by  the  migration  of 
laborers  and  the  consequent  diminution  of  pros- 
perity. The  National  Government  should  exer- 
cise all  its  constitutional  authority  to  put  an  end 
to  these  evils,  for  all  the  people  and  all  the 
States  are  members  of  one  body ; and  no  mem- 
ber can  suffer  without  injury  to  all. 

The  most  serious  evils  which  now  afflict  the 
South  arise  from  the  fact  that  there  is  not  such 
31 


524 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


freedom  and  toleration  of  political  opinion  and  ac- 
tion that  the  minority  party  can  exercise  an  effec- 
tive and  wholesome  restraint  upon  the  party  in 
power.  Without  such  restraint  party  rule  be- 
comes tyrannical  and  corrupt.  The  prosperity 
which  is  made  possible  in  the  South,  by  its  great 
advantages  of  soil  and  climate,  will  never  be  real- 
ized until  every  voter  can  freely  and  safely  support 
any  party  he  pleases.  Next  in  importance  to 
freedom  and  justice  is  popular  education,  without 
which  neither  justice  nor  freedom  can  be  perma- 
nently maintained.  Its  interests  are  intrusted  to 
the  States  and  the  voluntary  action  of  the  people. 
Whatever  help  the  nation  can  justly  afford  should 
be  generously  given  to  aid  the  States  in  support- 
ing common  schools ; but  it  would  be  unjust  to 
our  people  and  dangerous  to  our  institutions  to 
apply  any  portion  of  the 'revenues  of  the  nation  or 
of  the  States  to  the  support  of  sectarian  schools. 
The  separation  of  the  Church  and  the  State  in 
everything  relating  to  taxation  should  be  absolute. 
On  the  subject  of  national  finances  my  views  have 
been  so  frequently  and  fully  expressed  that  little  is 
needed  in  the  way  of  additional  statement.  The 
public  debt  is  now  so  well  secured,  and  the  rate  of 
annual  interest  has  been  so  reduced  by  refunding, 
that  rigid  economy  in  expenditures  and  the  faithful 
application  of  our  surplus  revenues  to  the  payment 
of  the  principal  of  the  debt,  will  gradually,  but  cer- 
tainly free  the  people  from  its  burdens,  and  close 
with  honor  the  financial  chapter  of  the  war.  At 
the  same  time  the  Government  can  provide  for  all 
its  ordinary  expenditures,  and  discharge  its  sacred 
obligations  to  the  soldiers  of  the  Union  and  to  the 
widows  and  orphans  of  those  who  fell  in  its  de- 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD 


525 


fense.  The  resumption  of  specie  payments,  which 
the  Republican  party  so  courageously  and  suc- 
cessfully accomplished,  has  removed  from  the  field 
of  controversy  many  questions  that  long-  and  se- 
riously disturbed  the  credit  of  the  Government 
and  the  business  of  the  country.  Our  paper  cur- 
rency is  now  as  national  as  the  flag,  and  resump- 
tion has  not  only  made  it  everywhere  equal  to 
coin,  but  has  brought  into  use  our  store  of  gold 
and  silver.  The  circulating  medium  is  more  abun 
dant  than  ever  before,  and  we  need  only  to  main- 
tain the  equality  of  all  our  dollars  to  insure  to 
labor  and  capital  a measure  of  value  from  the  use 
of  which  no  one  can  suffer  loss.  The  great  pros- 
perity which  the  country  is  now  enjoying  should 
not  be  endangered  by  any  violent  change  or 
doubtful  financial  experiments. 

In  reference  to  our  custom  laws,  a policy  should 
be  pursued  which  will  bring  revenues  to  the  Trea- 
sury, and  will  enable  the  labor  and  capital  em- 
ployed in  our  great  industries  to  compete  fairly  in 
our  own  markets  with  the  labor  and  capital  of 
foreign  producers.  We  legislate  for  the  people 
of  the  United  States,  not  for  the  whole  world ; 
and  it  is  our  glory  that  the  American  laborer  is 
more  intelligent  and  better  paid  than  his  foreign 
competitor.  Our  country  cannot  be  independent 
unless  its  people,  with  their  abundant  natural  re- 
sources, possess  the  requisite  skill  at  any  time  to 
clothe,  arm  and  equip  themselves  for  war,  and  in 
time  of  peace  to  produce  all  the  necessary  imple- 
ments of  labor.  It  was  the  manifest  intention  of 
the  founders  of  the  Government  to  provide  for 
the  common  defense,  not  by  standing  armies 
alone,  but  by  raising  among  the  people  a greater 


526 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


army  of  artisans,  whose  intelligence  ancl  skill 
should  powerfully  contribute  to  the  safety  and 
glory  of  the  nation.  Fortunately  for  the  interests 
of  commerce  there  is  no  longer  any  formidable 
opposition  to  appropriations  for  the  improvement 
of  our  harbors  and  great  navigable  rivers,  pro- 
vided that  the  expenditures  for  that  purpose  are 
strictly  limited  to  works  of  national  importance. 
The  Mississippi  River,  with  its  great  tributaries, 
is  of  such  vital  importance  to  so  many  millions  o! 
people  that  the  safety  of  its  navigation  requires 
exceptional  consideration.  In  order  to  secure 
to  the  nation  the  control  of  all  its  waters,  Presi- 
dent Jefferson  negotiated  the  purchase  of  a vast 
territory,  extending  from  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  to 
the  Pacific  Ocean.  The  wisdom  of  Congress 
should  be  invoked  to  devise  some  plan  by  which 
that  great  river  shall  cease  to  be  a terror  to  those 
who  dwell  upon  its  banks,  and  by  which  its  ship- 
ping may  safely  carry  the  industrial  products  of 
twenty-five  millions  of  people. 

The  interests  of  agriculture,  which  is  the  basis 
of  all  our  material  prosperity,  and  in  which  seven- 
twelfths  of  our  population  are  engaged,  as  well  as 
the  interests  of  manufactures  and  commerce,  de- 
mand that  the  facilities  for  cheap  transportation 
shall  be  increased  by  the  use  of  all  our  great  water 
courses.  The  material  interests  of  this  country, 
the  traditions  of  its  settlement  and  the  sentiment 
of  our  people  have  led  the  Government  to  offer 
the  widest  hospitality  to  immigrants  who  seek  our 
shores  for  new  and  happier  homes,  willing  to  share 
the  burdens  as  well  as  the  benefits  of  our  society, 
and  intending  that  their  posterity  shall  become  an 
undistinguishable  part  of  our  population.  The 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


52  7 


recent  movement  of  the  Chinese  to  our  Pacific 
coast  partakes  but  little  of  the  qualities  of  such  an 
immigration,  either  in  its  purposes  or  its  result.  It 
is  too  much  like  an  importation  to  be  welcomed 
without  restriction ; too  much  like  an  invasion  to 
be  looked  upon  without  solicitude.  We  cannot 
consent  to  allow  any  form  of  servile  labor  to  be 
introduced  among  us  under  the  guise  of  immigra- 
tion. Recognizing  the  gravity  of  this  subject,  the 
present  administration,  supported  by  Congress, 
has  sent  to  China  a commission  of  distinguished 
citizens  for  the  purpose  of  securing  such  a modifi- 
cation of  the  existing  treaty  as  will  prevent  the 
evils  likely  to  arise  from  the  present  situation.  It 
is  confidently  believed  that  these  diplomatic  nego- 
tiations will  be  successful  without  the  loss  of  that 
commercial  intercouse  between  the  two  great 
powers  which  promises  a great  increase  of  recip- 
rocal trade  and  the  enlargement  of  our  markets. 
Should  these  efforts  fail,  it  will  be  the  duty  of  Con- 
gress to  mitigate  the  evils  already  felt,  and  pre- 
vent their  increase  by  such  restrictions  as,  without 
violence  or  injustice,  will  place  upon  a sure  foun- 
dation the  peace  of  our  communities  and  the  free- 
dom and  dignity  of  labor. 

The  appointment  of  citizens  to  the  various  exe- 
cutive and  judicial  offices  of  the  Government  is, 
perhaps,  the  most  difficult  of  all  duties  which  the 
Constitution  has  imposed  upon  the  Executive. 
The  convention  wisely  demands  that  Congress 
shall  co-operate  with  the  Executive  Department,  in 
placing  the  civil  service  on  a better  basis.  Expe- 
rience has  proved  that,  with  our  frequent  changes 
of  administration,  no  system  of  reform  can  be 
made  effective  and  permanent  without  the  aid  of 


528 


LIFE  AXE  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


legislation.  Appointments  to  the  military  ancl 
naval  service  are  so  regulated  by  law  and  custom, 
as  to  leave  but  little  ground  of  complaint.  It 
may  not  be  wise  to  make  similar  regulations  by 
law  for  the  civil  service,  but,  without  invading  the 
authority  or  necessary  discretion  of  the  Executive, 
Congress  should  devise  a method  that  will  deter- 
mine  the  tenure  of  office,  and  greatly  reduce  the 
uncertainty  which  makes  that  service  so  uncertain 
and  unsatisfactory.  Without  depriving  any  officer 
of  his  rights  as  a citizen,  the  Government  should 
require  him  to  discharge  all  his  official  duties  with 
intelligence,  efficiency  and  faithfulness.  To  select 
wisely  from  our  vast  population  those  who  are  best 
fitted  for  the  many  offices  to  be  filled,  requires  an 
acquaintance  far  beyond  the  range  of  any  one 
man.  The  Executive  should,  therefore,  seek  and 
receive  the  information  and  assistance  of  those 
whose  knowledge  of  the  communities  in  which 
the  duties  are  to  be  performed,  best  qualifies  them 
to  aid  in  making  the  wisest  choice.  The  doctrines 
announced  by  the  Chicago  Convention  are  not  the 
temporary  devices  of  a party  to  attract  votes  and 
carry  an  election.  They  are  deliberate  convic- 
tions, resulting  from  a careful  study  of  the  spirit  of 
our  institutions,  the  events  of  our  history  and  the 
best  impulses  of  our  people.  In  my  judgment, 
these  principles  should  control  the  legislation  and 
administration  of  the  Government.  In  any  event, 
they  will  guide  my  conduct  until  experience  points 
out  a better  way.  If  elected,  it  will  be  my  purpose 
to  enforce  strict  obedience  to  the  Constitution  and 
the  laws,  and  "o  promote  as  best  I may  the  interest 
and  honor  of  the  whole  country,  relying  for  sup- 
port upon  the  wisdom  of  Congress,  the  intelli- 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


529 

gence  and  patriotism  of  the  people  and  the  favor 
of  God. 

With  great  respect,  I am  very  truly  yours, 

J.  A.  Garfield. 

To  Hon.  George  F.  Hoar,  Chairman  of  the  Com' 
mittee. 

I will  add  here,  to  close  this  chapter,  an 
analysis  from  the  New  York  Journal  of  Phre- 
nology, of  the  President’s  mental  characteristics : 

“James  A.  Garfield  is  a man  of  very  strong  physical  constitution,  with 
broad  shoulders,  deep  chest  and  a good  nutritive  system,  which  serve  to 
sustain  with  ample  vigor  his  uncommonly  large  brain  ; standing  fully  six 
feet  high,  and  weighing  22b  pounds.  The  head,  which  is  twenty-four 
inches  in  circumference,  seems  to  be  very  long  from  front  to  rear,  and 
then  the  length  seems  extreme  from  the  centre  of  the  ear  to  the  root  oi 
the  nose;  it  is  also  long  from  the  opening  of  the  ear  backward.  The 
whole  back-head  is  large,  and  the  social  group  amply  indicated,  but  the 
reader  will  observe  the  extreme  length  anterior  to  the  opening  of  the  ears, 
especially  across  the  lower  part  of  the  forehead,  in  which  are  located  the 
organs  of  the  perceptive  intellect,  those  which  gather  and  retain  knowl- 
edge, and  bring  a man  into  quick  sympathy  with  the  external  world,  and 
also  with  the  world  of  facts  as  developed  in  science  and  literature. 

“ Perhaps  there  are  not  two  men  in  a hundred  thousand  who  are  intel- 
ligent and  educated,  who  will  see  as  much  and  take  into  account  so  many 
of  the  principles  involved  in  what  he  sees  as  the  subject  before  us.  Noth- 
ing escapes  his  attention  ; he  remembers  things  in  their  elements,  theii 
qualities  and  peculiarities,  such  as  form,  size  and  color.  He  would  make 
an  excellent  judge  of  the  size  of  articles,  and  also  of  their  weight,  by 
simple  observation.  He  has  a talent  for  natural  science,  especially  chem- 
istry and  natural  philosophy.  His  memory,  indicated  by  the  fullness  in 
the  middle  of  the  forehead,  is  enormously  developed,  aiding  him  in  retain- 
ing vividly  all  the  impressions  that  are  worth  recalling. 

“ The  superior  portion  of  the  forehead  is  developed  more  prominently 
in  the  analogical  than  in  the  logical.  His  chief  intellectual  force  is  in  the 
power  to  elucidate  and  make  subjects  clear;  hence  he  is  able  to  teach  to 
others  whatever  he  knows  himself. 

“He  has  the  talent  for  reading  character;  hence  he  addresses  himself 
to  each  individual  according  to  his  peculiar  characteristics,  and  reaches 
results  in  the  readiest  and  best  way.  His  language  is  rather  largely  indi- 
cated ; he  would  be  known  more  for  specific  compactness  than  for  an  or- 
nate and  elaborate  style,'  because  he  goes  as  directly  as  possible  from 
the  premises  to  the  conclusion,  and  never  seems  to  forget  the  point  at 
issue. 


530 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


“ The  side-head  is  well  developed  in  the  region  of  Order,  Constructive- 
ness, sense  of  the  beautiful  and  of  the  grand.  It  is  also  strongly  marked 
in  the  region  of  Combativeness  and  Destructiveness,  which  give  force  and 
zealous  earnestness  in  the  prosecution  of  that  which  he  attempts  to  do. 
He  is  able  to  compel  himself  to  be  thorough,  and  to  hold  his  mind  and 
his  efforts  in  the  direction  required  until  he  has  made  himself  master  of 
the  subject.  Industry  is  one  of  his  strong  traits. 

‘‘  He  is  firm,  positive,  determined,  and  the  middle  of  the  top-head  indi- 
cates strong  religious  tendency.  We  seldom  see  so  large  Veneration;  he 
is  devout,  respectful  toward  whatever  he  thinks  sacred,  whether  it  relates  to 
religion  or  to  subordinate  topics;  he  would  reverence  ancient  places  made 
memorable  in  story  and  song;  he  is  respectful  to  the  aged,  polite  to  his 
equals,  and  especially  generous  and  friendly  to  those  who  are  his  inferiors 
in  age  or  culture.  Thus,  young  men  and  even  children  have  ready  access 
to  him  by  his  invitation  and  permission.  His  strong  social  affection  makes 
his  face  and  his  voice  a standing  invitation  toward  confidence,  and  he  has 
great  familiarity  in  his  treatment  of  the  young. 

“His  method  of  studying  subjects  is  instinctive;  he  considers  all  the 
facts,  every  condition,  that  will  be  brought  into  question,  and  combining 
these  by  means  of  his  logical  force,  his  conclusions  seem  clear,  are  vigor- 
ously stated  and  influential.  He  has  a strong  physiognomy;  that  broad 
and  high  cheek-bone  indicates  vital  power;  that  strong  nose  indicates  de- 
termination, courage  and  positiveness;  the  fullness  of  the  lips  shows 
warmth  of  affection  and  of  sympathy. 

“ There  are  few  men  who  are  as  well  adapted  to  comprehend  the  length 
and  depth  and  details  of  business,  and  hold  their  knowledge  where  it  will 
be  ready  for  use  when  it  is  required;  hence,  as  a lawyer  or  statesmen,  he 
should  be  able  to  impart  to  people  his  knowledge  effectively  and  ex- 
haustively whenever  required.  He  is  naturally  qualified  to  be  master  of 
turbulent  men,  and  to  meet  force  by  force,  and  to  Stand  his  ground  in  the 
midst  of  hardships,  difficulties  and  opposition," 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


53 1 


CHAPTER  XXXV. 


THE  MARCH  TO  VICTORY. 


ENERAL  GARFIELD  had  hardly  been 


nominated  before  the  plans  for  the  cam- 


paign that  was  intended  to  terminate  in 


his  election  were  formed.  But  they  were  not 
formed  by  any  concerted  effort  of  the  whole  party, 
not  by  any  council  of  the  leaders  of  each  section, 
but  only  by  those  who  intended  that  Garfield 
should  win  ; men  who  were  in  terrible  earnest  in 
selecting  him,  and  no  less  determined  for  his  elec- 


tion. 


The  defeated  stalwarts,  the  great,  yet  contempt- 
ible triumvirate,  Conkling,  Cameron  and  Logan, 
held  back,  sulked  in  their  tents  and  heeded  not 
the  cry  to  arms.  Senator  Cameron,  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, who,  in  the  February  preceding,  was 
elected  Chairman  of  the  Republican  National 
Committee,  remained  away  from  its  meetings,  and 
refused  to  manage  the  campaign.  The  Hon. 
Marshall  Jewell,  of  Connecticut,  was  chosen  in 
his  stead.  The  Republican  National  Congres- 
sional Committee  was  organized  with  the  Hon. 
Jay  Hubbell,  of  Michigan,  as  Chairman,  and  the 
Hon.  Edward  McPherson  as  Secretary.  State 


532 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


committees  were  formed  everywhere,  and  the 
campaign  opened  in  form,  July  20th,  by  the  Hon. 
Carl  Schurz,  who,  in  a speech  delivered  at  In- 
dianapolis, set  the  key-note  of  the  Republican 
oratory  by  debarring  the  “bloody  shirt”  as  a sub- 
ject of  discussion,  and  confining  all  his  efforts  to 
a plea  for  the  value  of  politic  and  economical 
questions  as  raised,  defended  and  upheld  by  the 
Republican  party. 

The  speeches  of  others,  greater  and  humbler, 
followed  fast.  The  flood-gates  were  opened,  and 
thence,  till  November,  the  tide  of  oratory  rolled 
on  unchecked.  Mr.  Blaine  went  earnestly  to 
work,  Mr.  Sherman  set  just  as  good  an  example, 
and,  with  a will,  the  rank  and  file  took  up  the 
march.  Mr.  Conkling  was  not,  however,  seen  or 
heard.  With  an  impertinence  born  of  disgust  and 
defeat,  he  held  aloof,  while  his  friends  urged  on 
General  Garfield  the  necessity  and  propriety  of 
calling  on  him,  and  so  enlisting  his  services.  This 
advice  General  Garfield  wisely  disregarded.  While 
he  saw  the  want  of  dignity  and  the  loss  of  pres- 
tige, in  his  making  the  first  advances  to  Senator 
Conkling,  he  by  no  means  underestimated  the 
value  in  the  election  of  the  State  of  New  York, 
which  was  thought  by  a heedless  few  to  be  in  the 
power  of  Mr.  Conkling  to  give  or  withhold.  Mr. 
Garfield,  seizing  the  situation,  boldly  determined 
to  capture  the  State  by  going  among  its  voters 
and  talking  to  them.  The  wisdom  of  this  was 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


533 


almost  immediately  apparent.  A great  Republican 
conference  was  called  to  meet  in  New  York. 
Setting  out  from  Mentor  on  August  3d,  he  jour- 
neyed to  Manhattan  by  the  way  of  Erie,  Buffalo, 
Utica  and  Albany.  His  return  was  by  way  of 
Patterson,  N.  J.,  Port  Jervis,  Binghampton,  Chau- 
tauqua and  Cleveland,  and  the  entire  trip  was  a 
magnificent  ovation  of  the  people  to  the  people’s 
choice.  Receptions  were  accorded  him  at  every 
station  ; thousands  flocked  to  see  him,  and  there 
were  fire-works  and  cannons  and  bands  and  ban- 
ners, and  everywhere  a joyful  populace.  He  was 
accompanied  by  Hon.  Omer  D.  Conger,  Gen.  Ben. 
Harrison,  John  C.  New,  Godlove  S.  Orth,  Major 
S wayne,  Hon.  Marshall  Jewell  and  others.  New 
York  was  reached  on  the  4th,  at  6 P.  M.,  and  Gar- 
field at  once  drove  to  the  Fifth  Avenue  Plotel, 
where  rooms  had  been  prepared  for  him. 

The  Conference  which  he  came  on  to  attend 
was  one  of  the  most  notable  political  gatherings 
ever  held  in  the  country.  Men  of  high  repute  in 
politics  from  all  parts  attended.  Not  only  poli- 
ticians, but  such  veteran  journalists  as  Halstead 
of  the  Cincinnati  Commercial , Dawson  of  the  Al- 
bany Evening  Journal,  and  others  were  present ; 
and  from  the  South,  among  others,  came  Senator 
Lewis  of  Virginia,  Thomas  B.  Keogh,  Isaac  J. 
Young  and  Judge  Tourgee  of  North  Carolina. 
From  Indiana  came  John  C.  New,  Ben  Harrison, 
Mr.  Halloway,  and  others  equally  distinguished  in 


534 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


the  Republican  ranks,  with  Senator  Blaine  oi 
Maine,  Hon.  W.  E.  Chandler  of  New  Hampshire, 
and  Senators  Blair  of  New  Hampshire,  and  Dawes 
of  Massachusetts.  Senator  Cameron  of  Pennsyl- 
vania left  his  mountain  retreat  to  put  to  rout  the 
stories  which  had  been  started  about  his  position 
in  the  canvass.  Hon.  John  Sherman  reached  the 
city  at  noon  with  Stanley  Matthews  of  Ohio.  He 
came  to  add  to  its  success  by  his  counsel  and  co- 
operation in  every  way  possible.  Never  before 
had  so  many  gentleman  distinguished  in  the  annals 
of  the  country  been  brought  together  on  a notice 
so  informal.  The  invitation  to  and  the  presence  in 
response  of  these  gentlemen  proved  beyond  ques- 
tion the  earnestness  of  the  Republican  party. 
The  Conference  showed  a determination  to  do 
everything  possible  to  secure  victory  in  November. 

I will  not  trouble  the  reader  with  a long  list  of 
names  nor  speeches.  The  Conference  met  on 
Friday  the  5th.  Remarks  were  made  by  the 
prominent  men  present,  and  counsel  and  advice 
freely  given.  Senators  Blaine,  Logan  and  Came- 
ron each  spoke  effectively  and  to  the  point.  The 
day  closed  in  fittingly  by  an  imposing  demon- 
stration by  the  Boys  in  Blue. 

Never  in  New  York  was  seen  a greater,  more 
magnificent  gathering,  than  assembled  in  front  of 
the  Fifth  Avenue  Hotel  that  night.  For  hours  the 
long  procession  filed  past  the  hotel  with  deafening 
cheers,  inspiriting  music,  and  lighted  by  a light  of 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


535 


fire-works  that  soared  in  the  air.  At  length  Gar- 
field appeared,  when  the  cheers  seemed  one  vast 
roar  from  thousands  of  exultant  throats.  After 
several  minutes  of  this,  there  was  a pause,  and 
then  the  clear,  resonant  voice  of  the  President  was 
heard  far  over  the  crowd : 

“ Comrades  of  the  Bovs  in  Blue  and  Fellow-Citizens  of 
New  York:  I cannot  look  upon  this  great  assemblage  and 
these  old  veterans  that  have  marched  past  us  and  listen  to  the 
welcome  from  our  comrade  who  has  just  spoken  (Speaker 
Sharpe)  without  remembering  how  great  a thing  it  is  to  live 
in  this  Union,  and  be  a part  of  it.  This  is  New  York,  and 
yonder  toward  the  battery,  more  than  one  hundred  years  ago, 
a young  student  of  Columbia  College  was  arguing  the  ideas 
of  the  American  Revolution  and  American  Union  against  the 
un-American  loyalty  to  monarchy  of  his  college  president  and 
professors.  By  and  by  lie  went  into  the  patriot  army,  ivas 
placed  in  the  staff  of  Washington  to  fight  the  battles  of  his 
country,  and  while  in  camp,  before  he  was  twenty-one  years 
old,  upon  a drum  head,  he  wrote  a letter  which  contained 
every  germ  of  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States.  That 
student,  soldier,  statesman  and  great  leader  of  thought, 
Alexander  Hamilton  of  New  York,  made  this  Republic  glo- 
rious by  his  thinking,  and  left  his  lasting  impress  upon  New 
York,  the  foremost  State  of  the  Union.  And  here  on  this 
island,  the  scene  of  his  early  triumphs,  we  gather  to-night, 
soldiers  of  the  new  war,  representing  the  same  ideas  of  union 
and  glory,  and  adding  to  the  column  of  the  monument  that 
Hamilton,  and  Washington,  and  the  heroes  of  the  Revolution 
reared. 

“ Gentlemen,  ideas  outlive  men.  Ideas  outlive  all  things, 
and  you  who  fought  in  the  war  for  the  Union,  fought  for  im- 
mortal ideas;  and  by  their  might  you  crowned  our  war  with 
victory.  But  victory  was  worth  nothing  except  for  the  fruits 


536 


LIFE  AND  PUB LIC  CAREER  OF 


that  were  under  it,  in  it  and  above  it.  We  meet  to-night  as 
veterans  and  comrades  to  stand  sacred  guard  around  the 
truths  for  which  we  fought,  and  while  we  have  life  to  meet 
and  grasp  the  hands  of  a comrade,  we  will  stand  by  the 
great  truths  of  the  war.  And  comrades,  among  the  con- 
victions of  that  war  which  have  sunk  deep  into  our  hearts, 
there  are  some  that  we  can  never  forget.  Think  of  the  great 
elevating  spirit  of  the  war  itself.  We  gathered  the  boys  from 
all  our  farms,  and  shops,  and  stores,  and  schools,  and  towns, 
all  over  the  Republic,  and  they  went  forth  unknown  to  fame, 
but  returned  enrolled  on  the  roster  of  immortal  heroes. 
They  went  in  the  spirit  -of  those  soldiers  of  Henry  of  Agui- 
court,  to  whom  he  said  : 

‘ Who  tliis  day  sheds  his  blood  with  me, 

To-day  shall  be  my  brother.  Were  he  ne’er  so  vile, 

This  day  shall  gentle  his  condition.’ 

“And  it  did  gentle  the  condition  and  elevate  the  heart 
of  every  soldier  who  fought  in  it.  And  he  shall  be  our 
brother  for  evermore.  And  this  thing  we  will  remember ; we 
will  remember  our  allies  who  fought  with  us.  Soon  after  the 
great  struggle  began,  we  looked  behind  the  army  of  white 
rebels,  and  saw  4,000,000  of  black  people  condemned  to  toil 
as  slaves  for  our  enemies  ; and  we  found  that  the  hearts  of 
these  4,000,000  were  God-inspired  with  the  spirit  of  liberty, 
and  that  they  were  our  friends.  We  have  seen  white  men 
betray  the  flag,  but  in  all  that  long,  dreary  war  we  never  saw 
a traitor  in  a black  skin.  Our  prisoners  escaping  from  the 
starvation  of  prisons,  fleeing  to  our  lines  by  the  light  of  the 
North  Star,  never  feared  to  enter  the  black  man’s  cabin  and 
ask  for  bread.  In  all  that  period  of  suffering  and  danger  no 
Union  soldier  was  ever  betrayed  by  a black  man  or  woman. 
And  now  that  we  have  made  them  free,  so  long  as  we  live  we 
will  stand  by  these  black  allies.  We  will  stand  by  them 
until  the  sun  of  liberty,  fixed  in  the  firmament  of  our  Consti- 
tution, shall  shine  with  equal  ray  upon  every  man,  black  or 
white,  throughout  the  Union. 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


537 


“ Now,  fellow-citizens,  fellow-soldiers ! in  this  there  is  all  the 
beneficence  of  eternal  justice,  and  by  this  we  will  stand  for- 
ever. The  great  poet  has  said  that  in  individual  life  we  rise 
in  stepping  stones  of  our  dead  selves  to  higher  things;  and 
the  Republic  rises  on  the  glorious  achievements  of  its  dead 
and  loving  heroes  to  a higher  and  nobler  national  life.  We 
must  stand  guard  over  our  post  as  soldiers,  as  patriots;  and 
over  our  country  as  the  common  heritage  of  us  all. 

“I  thank  you,  fellow-citizens,  for  this  magnificent  demonstra- 
tion. In  so  far  as  I represent,  in  my  heart  and  life,  the  great 
doctrines  for  which  you  fought,  I accept  this  demonstration 
as  a tribute  to  my  representative  character.  In  the  strength 
of  your  hands,  in  the  fervor  of  your  hearts,  in  the  firmness  of 
your  faith,  in  all  that  betokens  greatness  of  manhood  and 
nobleness  of  character,  the  Republic  finds  its  security  and 
glory.  I do  not  enter  upon  controverted  questions.  The 
time,  the  place,  the  situation  forbid  it.  I respect  the  tradi- 
tions that  require  me  to  speak  only  of  those  themes  which 
elevate  us  all.  Again  I thank  you  for  the  kindness  and 
enthusiasm  of  your  greeting.” 

The  address  was  interrupted  at  every  sentence 
by  applause  and  cheers.  General  Arthur,  Edwards 
Pierrepont,  Ben  Harrison,  Anson  G.  McCook  and 
others  followed.  The  great  demonstration  was  a 
complete  success,  and  threw  a good  deal  of 
enthusiasm  into  the  Republican  ranks. 

The  campaign  was  hotly  contested  thereafter. 
As  the  time  to  autumn  elections  grew  shorter,  the 
boasts  of  victory  that  always  fill  the  air  in  days 
of  political  excitement,  grew  more  and  more  ex- 
travagant. For  a moment,  it  seemed  as  if  those 
uttered  by  the  Republicans  were  to  be  justified 
by  results,  for  on  September  7th  the  State  of  Ver- 


538 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


mont  went  Republican  by  an  old-time  majority  of 
almost  30,000.  Six  days  later,  the  Republicans 
received  a blow  in  the  face — Maine,  which  had 
been  securely  counted  on  to  give  a Republican 
majority,  was  lost  outright  to  the  Democrats.  At 
first  this  seemed  disastrous,  but  it  proved  in  the 
end  to  have  been  the  one  thing  needful,  for  it  fur- 
nished just  that  desperation  necessary  to  make 
certain  the  victory  in  Indiana  and  Ohio,  on  which 
States  all  eyes  were  now  fastened.  The  battle 
waged  fiercely,  more  fiercely  than  ever  before  in 
the  annals  of  those  States. 

By  this  time,  Mr.  Conkling  had  been  compelled  by 
circumstances  to  take  part,  and  he  now  blazed  forth, 
beginning  on  the  1 7th  of  September,  at  New  York, 
in  a series  of  speeches  in  which,  as  he  afterwards 
boasted,  he  never  once  mentioned  the  name  of  the 
Republican  candidate.  His  talk  was  confined  en- 
tirely to  praise  of  Grant  and  the  glorification  of 
the  Republican  party  for  what  it  did  prior  to  1876. 
There  was  nothing  manly,  honest  or  creditable  in 
the  part  he  took  in  the  campaign.  Up  to  this  time 
a rather  bad  direction  had  been  given  to  the  Repub  - 
lican efforts — the  lead  given  by  Mr.  Schurz  not  hav- 
ing been  followed.  There  was  too  much  “bloody 
shirt.”  Seeing  this,  a party  of  Philadelphia  protec- 
tionists, headed  by  Mr.  Wharton  Barker — who  was 
the  first  man  to  nominate-  General  Garfield,  and 
who,  more  than  any  other,  compassed  his  nomina- 
tion— went  to  Mentor  and  urged  that  the  direction 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


539 


of  the  campaign  be  changed,  and  every  power  be 
centered  on  the  tariff  issue.  This  suggestion  was 
adopted  by  General  Garfield,  and  thereafter  the 
whole  burden  of  the  fight  fell  upon  Protection  and 
Free  Trade.  On  this  issue  the  fight  was  maintained 
to  the  end.  In  Indiana  it  had  a particularly  salu- 
tary effect,  and  from  the  moment  this  change  was 
decided  on,  the  Republican  prospects  brightened. 
It  is  needless  to  recount  here  how  the  battle  waged. 
The  Republicans  won  and  won  handsomely  in  both 
the  pivotal  States,  and  thence  the  campaign,  in  spite 
of  the  disgraceful  efforts  of  the  Democrats  to  im- 
pair the  Republican  prospects  by  means  of  a 
forged  letter,  was  conducted  by  the  Republicans 
with  all  the  enthusiasm  of  certain  victory,  and  by 
the  Democrats  with  the  spasmodic  strength  of  a 
drowning  man. 

To  the  struggles  in  Indiana  and  Ohio  immediately 
was  added  the  fight  in  New  York.  Here,  again, 
the  Pennsylvanians  came  to  the  rescue,  and  Mr. 
Wharton  Barker,  by  means  of  his  connections 
and  abilities,  was  able  to  make  large  inroads  into 
the  Democratic  strongholds.  Each  side  was 
over-heated,  and  but  one  party  really  and  abso 
lutely  confident.  There  was  marching  and 
counter-marching,  planning,  manoeuvring,  every 
sort  of  sally  and  attack.  So  on  to  November  2d. 
Then  both  parties  paused  for  breath  before  the 
final  issue.  Among  them  all  no  one  was  cooler 
or  more  keenly  alive  to  the  hour  than  the  great 


540 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


Republican  himself.  To  a friend  he  wrote  thusr 
with  that  calmness  of  contemplation  of  great 
events  in  which  he  is  the  most  interested  observer, 
that  he  so  richly  possesses  : 

“Mentor,  Ohio,  November  ist,  1880. 

“ Dear : The  evening  mail  brings  me  your  letter  of  the 

31st,  and  I take  a moment  in  the  lull  before  the  battle  to  say 
hoAv  greatly  glad  I am  for  all  the  earnest  and  effective  things 
you  have  done  for  me.  Whatever  may  be  the  issue  of  to- 
morrow, I shall  carry  with  me  through  life  most  grateful 
memories  of  the  enthusiastic  and  noble  work  my  friends  have 
done,  and  especially  my  college  class-mates.  The  campaign 
has  been  fruitful  to  me  in  the  discipline  that  comes  from 
endurance  and  patience.  I hope  defeat  will  not  sour  me,  nor 
success  disturb  the  poise  which  I have  sought  to  gain  by  the 
experiences  of  life.  From  this  edge  of  the  conflict  I give  you 
my  hand  and  heart,  as  in  all  the  other  days  of  our  friendship. 
As  ever  yours,  “ J.  A.  Garfield.” 

Happily  for  the  country  and  the  world,  he  had 
no  “ defeat  to  sour  ” him.  The  total  vote  on  the 
morrow  was  8,871,360.  Of  this  General  Gai field 
received  4,437,345,  and  his  opponent  4,435,015. 
The  country  rang  with  rejoicing.  The  wild  ex- 
citement of  election  night  everywhere  was  suc- 
ceeded by  the  settled  calm  that  attends  on  a 
deed  well  done,  the  quiet,  always  grateful  feel- 
ing of  one  who  has  avoided  a danger  after  long 
exertion,  ,and  who  may  now  lie  down  to  peace 
and  the  pleasant  dreams  born  of  brilliant  victory. 
For  the  country  had  won  a President  with  an  un- 
clouded title,  a statesman,  a citizen,  and  a man. 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


54 « 


CHAPTER  XXXVI 


THE  INTERIM  AND  INAUGURATION, 


HE  election  satisfied  the  most  sanguine 


hopes  of  the  Republicans,  and  loud  were 


the  rejoicings  of  the  victors.  He  who 


should  have  most  rejoiced  was  not  so  much  elated  as 
the  humblest  of  his  supporters.  He  felt  the  great 
crown  of  responsibility  that  had  been  conferred 
upon  him.  The  whirlwind  of  congratulations  that 
blew  upon  Mentor  bore  a lesson  in  its  fierce  per- 
sistency— a lesson  the  President-elect  was  learn- 
ing by  heart. 

On  the  day  succeeding  the  election,  the  first  of 
the  many  delegations  that  came  to  congratulate 
him  put  in  an  appearance  at  Mentor.  Several 
hundred  of  the  faculty  and  students  of  Oberlin 
College  called  to  offer  their  kind  words  and  wishes, 
To  them,  President  Garfield  replied: 

“ Mr.  President,  Ladies  and  Gentlemen  : — This  sponta- 
neous visit  is  so  much  more  agreeable  than  a prepared  one. 
It  comes  more  directly  from  the  heart  of  the  people  who  par- 
ticipate, and  I receive  it  as  a greater  compliment  for  that 
reason.  I do  not  wish  to  be  unduly  impressible  or  supersti- 
tious, but,  though  we  have  outlived  the  days  of  augurs,  I 
think  we  have  a right  to  hold  some  events  as  omens,  and  I 
greet  this  as  a happy  and  auspicious  omen,  that  the  first  gen- 
eral greeting  since  the  event  of  yesterday  is  tendered  to  ms 


54* 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OP 


by  a venerable  institution  of  learning.  The  thought  has  been 
abroad  in  the  world  a good  deal,  and  with  reason,  that  there 
is  a divorce  between  scholarship  and  politics.  Oberlin,  I 
believe,  has  never  advocated  that  divorce,  but  there  has  been 
a sort  of  a cloistered  scholarship  in  the  United  States  that  has 
stood  aloof  from  active  participation  in  public  affairs,  and  I 
am  glad  to  be  greeted  here  to-day  by  the  active,  live 
scholarship  of  Ohio,  and  I know  of  no  place  where  scholar- 
ship has  touched  upon  the  nerve  centre  of  public  intelligence  so 
effectually  as  at  Oberlin.  For  this  reason  I am  specially 
grateful  for  this  greeting  from  the  faculty  and  students  of 
Oberlin  College  and  its  venerable  president.  I thank  you, 
ladies  and  gentlemen,  for  this  visit.  Whatever  the  signifi- 
cance of  yesterday’s  event  may  be,  it  will  be  all  the  more 
significant  for  being  immediately  indorsed  by  the  scholarship 
and  culture  of  my  State.” 

This  was  the  beginning  of  the  storm,  and  for 
some  weeks  thereafter  the  President  was  busy  re- 
ceiving and  replying  to  his  visitors.  Having  some 
business  that  required  his  attention  in  Washing- 
ton, he,  on  November  23d,  in  company  with  Mrs. 
Garfield  and  Hon.  Amos  Townsend,  Congressman 
from  the  Cleveland  District,  started  for  the  capi- 
tal. In  accordance  with  the  General’s  request,  no 
public  demonstration  was  attempted,  and  very  lit- 
tle conversation  of  a political  character  permitted. 
He  remained  in  Washington  three  days,  and  then 
returned  to  his  home.  By  this  time  the  campaign 
torches,  so  long  ago  extinguished,  had  been  for- 
gotten  ; the  campaign  banners  rent  beyond  repair. 
The  tide  of  surmise  and  guesswork  was  in  full 
'low  upon  the  question  of  a Cabinet.  Counting 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


543 


the  cost  of  the  election,  it  was  pretty  generally 
agreed  that  the  incoming  President  would  endea- 
vor  to  harmonize  all  differences  in  the  party  ; that 
he  would  adopt  a policy  of  reconciliation,  and  not, 
by  allying  himself  with  one  Republican  wing,  deal 
death  and  destruction  to  the  other. 

The  months  came  and  went  rapidly.  Lawnfield 
was  soon  a shrine  for  pilgrims,  almost  as  impor- 
tunate as  those  who  cast  their  prayer  carpets  be  • 
fore  the  gates  of  Mecca.  Every  train  from  Cleve- 
land, or  the  East,  landed  somebody  at  Mentor. 
Now  it  was  a great  politician;  now  a little  one; 
now  a delegation  ; now  a club  of  congratulating 
citizens.  A score  of  newspaper  men  hovered 
about  Lawnfield  like  fireflies,  and  each  carried  an 
illuminating  pencil.  Another  score  used  Cleve- 
land as  a basis  of  operations,  and  made  daily 
forays  on  Mentor.  As  the  winter  wore  away  and 
premonitions  of  the  approach  of  spring  became 
more  noticeable,  the  stream  of  these  pilgrims  waxed 
greater  and  more  virulent.  The  daily  mail  grew 
to  an  enormous  size,  and  one  private  secretary 
was  kept  busy  filing  applications  for  office,  which 
became  so  persistent  as  to  be  very  annoying.  All 
sorts  of  devices  were  adopted  to  reach  the 
President’s  attention.  Some  of  the  more  hungry 
ones  appealed  to  the  General’s  gentle  wife,  or  to 
his  mother,  in  a vain  hope  that  they  would  interest 
themselves  in  behalf  of  the  applicants.  All  ap- 
plications were  filed  and  not  replied  to. 


544 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


This  led  to  much  assertion  of  a certain  sort, 
that  the  President-elect  had  promised  this  office 
to  that  man,  this  office  to  the  other,  and  so  on. 
It  was  claimed  that  he  would  make  a stalwart 
Cabinet ; that  he  would  make  an  anti-stalwart 
Cabinet.  It  transpired  finally,  that  Mr.  Blaine  was 
to  be  the  Secretary  of  State.  This  position  was 
offered  him  by  Mr.  Garfield  when  in  Washington 
in  November,  and  the  selection  was  greeted 
with  pleasure.  Then  came  a special  announce- 
ment in  the  New  York  Tribune , that  those  who 
fought  the  stalwarts  in  the  Grant  campaign  would 
not  be  forgotten.  Then  it  was  said  that  Mr. 
James  was  booked  for  the  position  of  Postmaster- 
General.  Others  were  named  for  other  places, 
and  the  interest  was  at  fever-heat,  because  no  other 
except  Mr.  Blaine’s  appointment  was  definitely 
decided  in  the  President’s  mind  until  the  day  of 
his  inauguration. 

The  writer  visited  the  President-elect  two  days 
before  he  left  Mentor  for  Washington  to  be  in- 
augurated, and  conversed  with  him  on  the  ques- 
tion of  the  Cabinet.  In  the  course  of  this  con- 
versation, I learned  from  Mr.  Garfield  that  he  had 
decided  upon  nobody,  out  and  out,  save  Mr. 
Blaine.  It  was,  however,  settled  that  Pennsylva- 
nia was  to  be  recognized,  either  in  the  appoint- 
ment of  Mr.  Wharton  Barker  as  Secretary  of  the 
Treasury  or  Interior,  or  by  the  appointment  of 
Mr.  Wayne  McVeagh  to  the  office  of  Attorney- 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


545 


General.  Had  this  question  been  decided  from 
the  standpoint  of  Stirling  ability,  honesty  in  politi- 
cal life,  or  reward  for  political  service,  the  Presi- 
dent would  have  selected  Mr.  Wharton  Barker, 
to  whom  first  of  all  he  owed  his  nomination  and 
election.  But  considerations  of  popular  applause 
and  the  weight  of  Mr.  Blaine’s  influence,  which 
he  was  led  to  cast  in  favor  of  Mr.  McVeagh  be- 
cause he  believed  Mr.  Barker  would  be  a “Garfield 
man”  rather  than  a “Blaine  man,”  determined  the 
President  to  appoint  Mr.  McVeagh,  an  appoint- 
ment that  has  not  been  so  satisfactory — at  least  to 
politicians — as  they  were  led  to  believe  it  would  be. 

But  I am  anticipating  events.  On  the  5th  of 
January,  the  Vice-President  laid  the  following 
letter  before  the  Senate  of  the  United  States : 

“ Mentor,  Ohio,  December  23d,  1880. 

“Sir: — On  the  13th  and  14th  days  of  January,  A.  D.  1880, 
the  General  Assembly  of  the  State  of  Ohio,  pursuant  to  law, 
chose  me  to  be  a Senator  in  the  Congress  of  the  United 
States,  for  said  State,  for  the  term,  of  six  years,  to  begin  on 
the  4th  of  March,  A.  D.  1881.  Understanding  that  the  law- 
ful evidence  of  that  fact  has  been  presented  to  the  Senate  and 
filed  in  its  archives,  I have  the  honor  to  inform  the  Senate 
that  I have,  by  letter  dated  December  23d,  1880,  and  ad- 
dressed to  the  Governor  and  General  Assembly  of  the  State 
of  Ohio,  formally  declined  to  accept  the  said  appointment, 
and  have  renounced  the  same.  I am,  sir,  very  respectfully, 

“ Your  Obedient  Servant, 

“J.  A.  GARFIELD. 

“ To  the  President  of  the  Senate  of  the  United  States." 


546 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


On  the  first  clay  of  March,  the  President-elect 
set  out  from  Mentor  for  the  capital.  His  family 
accompanied  him  and  many  of  his  personal  friends. 
He  traveled  in  a special  train  composed  of  Pull- 
man and  private  cars.  That  occupied  by  the 
President-elect  was  the  private  car  of  the  man- 
ager of  the  Lake  Erie  and  Western  Road.  His 
progress  from  his  home  to  Washington  was  the 
occasion  of  a great  outburst  of  affection  on  the 
part  of  his  old  neighbors  and  of  popular  regard 
along  the  route,  which  made  the  journey  a marked 
contrast  to  that  of  his  predecessor.  It  was  not 
until  he  reached  Harrisburg  that  Mr.  Hayes 
learned  definitely  that  he  had  been  declared  the 
President-elect.  It  recalled  also,  by  contrast,  the 
still  more  gloomy  journey  of  the  first  Republican 
President  to  Washington,  when  the  nation  seemed 
going  to  pieces,  and  when  it  was  necessary  to 
change  the  proposed  route  to  avoid  assassins,  who 
were  lying  in  wait  for  the  life  of  the  President- 
elect. Mr.  Garfield’s  speeches  at  the  few  stop- 
ping places  along  the  road,  were  all  that  could  be 
desired.  They  were  frank,  unpremeditated  utter- 
ances of  a man  who  feels  both  the  honors  and  the 
responsibilities  of  his  new  place,  and  who  responds 
in  a candid  way  to  the  popular  regard.  This  re- 
gard was  spontaneously  shown,  and  every  one 
believed  he  was  about  to  begin  for  the  country  a 
most  brilliant  administration,  that  should  even 
astonish  his  friends.  For  his  abilities  are  of  that 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


547 


high  order  which  adapt  themselves  easily  to  new 
situations.  The  man  who  turned  from  teaching 
to  soldiering  and  from  soldiering  to  legislation,  and 
made  his  mark  in  all  these,  was  not  likely  to  be 
at  a loss  when  called  as  President,  while  still  a 
young  and  teachable  man,  to  duties  less  alien  to  his 
previous  career  than  each  of  these  was  in  its  turn. 

A committee  of  citizens  met  the  President-elect 
on  his  arrival,  and  escorted  him  to  the  Riggs 
House,  where  he  took  up  his  residence  until  after 
the  inauguration. 

This,  as  the  Constitution  duly  provides,  took 
place  upon  March  4th.  The  day  opened  unfavor- 
ably. Snow  and  ice  had  covered  the  broad 
avenues  of  the  capital  with  slippery  slush.  The 
sky  had  a dull  gray  tinge,  that  seemed  to  preclude 
all  smiles  from  the  sun.  At  daybreak  everything 
seemed  inauspicious.  The  flags  over  the  many 
triumphal  arches  were  wet  and  lifeless ; the 
prospect  was  exceedingly  dull.  Yet  it  was  a 
great  day.  The  President  rose  from  his  bed  in 
the  Executive  Mansion  for  the  last  time  as  Chief 
Magistrate  of  the  nation.  On  the  morrow  he 
would  be  only  a private  citizen,  on  his  way  to  ob- 
livion. The  President-elect  awoke  for  the  last 
time — for  four  years — as  a freeman,  responsible 
for  himself  alone.  It  was  just  nine  months  since 
his  nomination.  Five  months  of  these  he  had 
little  to  do,  save  speculate  on  the  result.  They 
were  months  of  apprehension,  of  course,  but 


548 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


months  during  which  there  was  nothing  he  could 
personally  do  to  help  his  cause.  The  next  four 
months  his  mind  had  had  little  rest ; and,  as  he  is 
a great,  conscientious,  sensitive  man,  who  never 
fails  to  appreciate  the  responsibilities  before  him, 
there  could  have  been — in  this  gray  morning — 
but  little  room  for  self-congratulation.  He  could 

o 

not  regard  the  office  which  he  was  that  day  to 
accept  as  a personal  gift  or  trust,  because  for  four 
years  to  come  he  was  not  to  see  a day  on  which 
he  could  say  he  was  free  from  anxiety.  No  won- 
der he  watched  the  light  steal  into  the  quiet 
streets  with  some  doubts  as  to  whether  he  had 
strength  sufficient  to  meet  the  coming  dawn. 

The  promise  of  the  cold  gray  morning  remained 
unfulfilled  as  the  day  wore  on.  The  sun  coming 
out  soon  cleared  the  streets  of  all  the  ice  and 
snow  they  contained,  and,  a little  later,  dried  them 
completely.  They  were  thronged  by  an  enor- 
mous crowd,  far  surpassing  anything  ever  seen 
on  similar  occasions.  The  masses  were  patient 
and  happy,  and  waited  eagerly  to  see  the  proces- 
sion on  its  way  to  the  Capitol. 

At  10.15  the  Presidential  party  came  out 
of  the  White  House,  entered  their  carriages, 
and,  preceded  by  the  Cleveland  Troop,  moved 
through  the  west  gate  to  Pennsylvania  Avenue. 
The  Presidential  party,  occupying  two  four-horse 
carriages,  consisted  of  President  Hayes,  Presi- 
dent-elect Garfield,  Vice-President-elect  Arthur, 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


549 


and  Senators  Bayard,  Pendleton  and  Anthony. 
The  Marine  Band  saluted  them  with  “ Hail  to  the 
Chief,”  and  the  booming  of  a gun  started  the  first 
division  of  the  great  procession,  which  was  the 
Presidential  escort,  on  its  way  to  the  Capitol. 
This  escort  consisted  of  picked  troops  of  United 
States  infantry,  cavalry,  artillery  and  the  Annapo- 
lis Cadets.  The  avenue  was  by  this  time  one 
mass  of  humanity.  From  the  Capitol  to  the 
Treasury,  looking  from  the  balcony  of  the  Li- 
brary, no  grander  sight  of  the  sort  was  ever  wit- 
nessed— one  mile  of  street,  two  hundred  feet 
wide,  crammed  from  house-line  to  house-line  with 
variegated  humanity.  It  was  a continuous  struggle 
of  an  hour  to  get  through  this  mass  of  people  from 
one  of  these  points  to  the  other.  The  gayly-decked 
banners,  flags  and  national  bunting  flying  from 
every  house,  the  happy  faces  at  the  windows,  the 
thousands  of  spectators  installed  in  the  banks  of 
temporary  seats  made  up  a picturesque  scene 
which  will  last  long  in  the  memory  of  those  pres- 
ent. 

But  it  was  only  after  the  ceremonies  at  the 
Capitol  had  been  concluded  that  the  real  proces- 
sion of  the  day  began  to  move.  After  the  Presi- 
dent had  delivered  his  inaugural,  his  party  entered 
their  carriages,  and  the  march  up  the  avenue  to 
the  White  House  began.  General  Sherman  was 
in  command,  and  the  army  which  he  commanded 
was  composed  of  fully  fifteen  thousand  men.  The 


550 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


first  division,  under  command  of  Major-Genera] 
R.  B.  Ayres,  United  States  Army,  consisted  of 
twelve  companies  of  regular  artillery,  four  com- 
panies of  marines,  a battalion  of  Cleveland  troops, 
cavalry,  the  President  and  party  in  carriages, 
KnightsTemplar,  fourplatoons ; Grand  Army  of  the 
Republic,  eight  platoons  ; Boys  in  Blue,  eight  pla- 
toons ; Naval  Cadets,  two-horse  batteries  of  reg- 
ulars, battalion  Washington  Light  Infantry,  four 
companies ; Colonel  Moore,  Company  A,  Fifth 
Battalion  ; Second  California  Brigade,  Hampton 
Cadets,  Virginia;  Langston  Guards,  Norfolk, 
Va. ; Union  Blues,  Thomasville,  Ga. ; Rome  Star 
Guards,  Georgia ; National  Rifles,  Washington, 
Captain  Burnside;  Signal  Corps,  United  States 
Army,  and  the  Ninth  Regiment  of  New  York. 
Next  came  the  most  interesting  feature  of  the 
procession — the  second  division,  under  command 
of  Major  General  Hartranft.  It  was  made  up 
entirely  of  Pennsylvania  militia,  and,  as  they 
marched  up  the  avenue,  they  received  most  vigor- 
ous applause.  Their  step  was  firm,  and  it  was 
the  common  remark  that  the  regulars  must  look 
to  their  laurels.  They  were  in  the  uniform  of  the 
United  States  Infantry,  and  carried  knapsacks, 
canteens  and  rations  for  three  days,  living  in 
camp.  There  seemed  to  be  no  end  to  the  Penn- 
sylvanians ; but  there  is  an  end  to  everything,  and 
the  third  division  finally  put  in  an  appearance. 
This  division,  commanded  by  Major-General 


4 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


551 


Thomas  C.  Fletcher,  consisted  of  the  Grand 
Army  oi  the  Republic,  Boys  in  Blue  and  militia 
from  New  York,  District  of  Columbia,  New  Jer- 
sey, Delaware,  Ohio,  Michigan,  Wisconsin,  Indiana, 
Illinois,  Minnesota,  Iowa,  Kansas,  Missouri,  New 
Hampshire,  Connecticut,  Massachusetts  and  veter- 
ans from  the  District  of  Columbia  and  Pittsburg. 
The  Harrisburg  City  Grays,  the  Titusville  Citi- 
zens’ Corps  and  the  Dickinson  College  and  Penn- 
sylvania State  College  Cadets  were  also  in  this 
division.  The  fourth  division,  under  the  command 
of  Major-General  Charles  H.  Field,  was  composed 
of  militia  from  Maryland,  Virginia,  West  Virginia, 
South  Carolina,  Tennessee  and  Florida.  The 
fifth  division,  under  the  command  of  Colonel 
Robert  Boyd,  was  composed  exclusively  of  civic 
societies,  and  here  marched  the  Philadelphia  polit- 
ical clubs. 

Later,  on  the  reviewing  stand  the  scene  was  a 
grand  one.  Pennsylvania  Avenue,  in  front  of  the 
White  House  and  for  several  squares  above  and 
below  it,  when  the  head  of  the  procession  reached 
the  Treasury  Department,  was  literally  packed 
with  people,  who  had  been  waiting  patiently  an 
hour  or  longer  for  the  return  of  President  Garfield 
from  the  Capitol.  When  the  carriages  containing 
the  Presidential  party  reached  the  eastern  gate 
leading  to  the  Executive  Mansion,  they  were 
driven  inside,  and  the  party  soon  afterwards  ap- 
peared upon  the  grand  stand,  extending  along 


552 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


the  sidewalk  directly  in  front  of  the  Mansion. 
President  Garfield,  accompanied  by  ex-Presi- 
dent  Hayes,  appeared,  the  former  taking  a 
position  in  the  front  of  the  platform,  elevated  about 
twelve  feet  above  the  sidewalk,  and  in  plain  view 
of  the  surging  thousands  that  still  packed  the 
avenue  from  railing  to  railing  on  either  side  of  the 
avenue,  and  who,  upon  his  appearance,  greeted 
him  with  prolonged  cheering.  Here  the  Presi- 
dential party  stayed  some  time,  watching  the  long 
and  bright  procession  pass. 

The  enormous  crowd  that  lined  the  avenue  and 
filled  the  space  in  front  of  the  Capitol,  might  fitly 
be  designated  the  people.  Inside  the  Senate 
Chamber  was  gathered  a far  smaller  audience,  yet 
a more  interesting  one.  Every  avenue  of  approach 
was  doubly  guarded.  It  was  hard  work  to  obtain 
a passport  and,  having  it,  one  found  it  quite  as 
hard  to  work  his  way  into  the  part  of  the  Capitol 
whose  privileges  it  commanded.  Thus  it  came 
about  that  while  the  galleries  were  full  they  were 
not  overcrowded,  and  that  those  who  filled  the  seats 
constituted  an  audience  of  some  distinction,  while 
the  floor  of  the  Senate  became  for  the  short  time 
between  11  o’clock  and  12.30  such  a rendezvous 
of  American  political  celebrities  as  is  seldom  seen. 
Among  the  first  to  take  their  places  in  the  audi- 
ence were  Mrs.  Hayes,  Mrs.  Garfield,  General 
Garfield’s  mother,  who,  with  a little  Miss  Garfield 
and  a little  Miss  Hayes,  all  under  the  escort  of 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


553 


Major  Swain,  occupied  the  President’s  bench. 
Garfield’s  mother  was  dressed  in  the  weeds  of 
widowhood,  which  she  has  worn  so  long,  and  sat 
very  quietly  in  a corner  as  if  prayerfully  waiting 
for  the  services  to  begin,  and  intensely  a«xious  for 
the  preacher  to  arrive.  Close  by  her  side  and  oc- 
casionally bending  over  to  call  the  older  lady’s  at- 
tention to  some  person  or  incident,  was  Mrs. 
Hayes,  with  her  bland  face  beaming  from  a frame- 
work of  a very  white  silk  bonnet  and  very  white 
silk  bows,  and  wearing  the  celebrated  black  silk 
dress,  while  a sealskin  sacque  had  fallen  from  her 
shoulders.  Less  noticeable  was  the  wife  of  the 
President-elect,  whose  quiet  tastes  presented  noth- 
ing in  dress  that  would  challenge  the  notice  of  a 
masculine  eye;  but  a lady  whispered  in  my  ear 
that  she  wore  a black  silk  dress  and  a velvet 
basque.  The  little  girls — but  that  is  enough  of 
this  millinery  business. 

On  the  floor  of  the  Senate  one  interesting 
group  after  another  was  formed  in  rapid  succes- 
sion. The  number  of  chairs  had  been  increased 
by  two  or  three  hundred  for  the  accommodation 
of  the  great  men  of  the  nation  and  the  represen- 
tatives of  foreign  Governments  who  might  grace 
the  occasion  by  their  presence.  The  Senators 
themselves  were  huddled  together  in  a space  as 
small  as  possible  on  the  Republican  side  of  the 
Chamber.  Those  going  out  and  those  coming 
into  service  with  the  stroke  of  the  clock  at  noon, 


554 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


were  sandwiched  between  those  who  are  members 
with  yet  two  or  four  years  of  grace.  There  was 
general  inquiry  for  the  new  men,  and  as  each 
came  in  the  audience  in  whispers  demanded  his 
name,  and  mentally  took  his  measure.  Platt  of 
New  York  arrived  early.  After  shaking  hands 
with  Conkling,  he  took  a seat  directly  in  front  of 
his  colleague,  and  had  nothing  to  say  to  anybody. 
Ha-wley  bustled  in  in  a business-like  way  and  set- 
tled down  with  an  air  of  satisfaction.  Mitchell  of 
Pennsylvania  followed  so  unobtrusively  and  'also 
so  timidly  that  his  presence  was  not  immediately 
observed.  He  shook  hands  with  Hampton  and 
Beck  and  sat  down  between  them.  Sewell,  with 
nicely-poised  eye-glasses  and  a professional  air, 
mixed  freely  with  a few  acquaintances.  Fair, 
Sawyer,  Camden  and  Miller  were  last  in  the 
throng.  Hale  sat  nervously,  with  his  old  air  of 
being  anxious  to  take  a hand  in  what  was  going 
on  in  the  parliamentary  line.  Harrison  chimed  in 
in  a languid  way  with  Windom  and  others,  and 
seemed  to  think  the  pending  functions  rather  a 
bore.  After  the  new  Senators  there  were  promi- 
nent men  of  the  old  set,  whose  every  motion  was 
watched  by  the  galleries.  Ex-Secretary  Sherman 
was  warmly  welcomed  by  his  old  associates. 
There  was  a quartette  of  four  national  celebrities, 
Davis  of  Illinois,  Conkling,  Hamlin  and  Thurman, 
who  were  apparently  cracking  jokes,  while  waiting 
for  the  show  to  begin.  Davis  of  West  Virginia 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


555 


moved  about  with  the  grand  air  of  a master  of 
ceremonies,  and  Cameron  was  unusually  lively  in 
his  movements,  taking  care  to  greet  every  new 
Senator  as  he  came  in.  Thurman  looked  glum 
&nd  Wallace  pensive. 

It  was  now  dangerously  near  the  hour  of  noon, 
and  the  Presidential  party  were  not  in  sight,  so 
Doorkeeper  Bassett  took  his  staff,  and  in  full  view 
of  all  turned  back  the  hands  of  the  clock  five 
minutes.  It  was  enough.  Before  that  time  passed 
the  doors  were  thrown  open  very  wide,  and  there 
entered — First,  Senators  Bayard,  Thurman  and 
Anthony ; second,  President  Hayes  and  President- 
elect Garfield  ; third,  the  members  of  the  Cabinet ; 
and  fourth,  Adjutant-General  Drum  and  Private- 
Secretary  Rogers.  The  Senate,  the  Supreme 
Court,  the  Diplomatic  Corps,  and  Generals  Sheri- 
dan and  Hancock  arose  as  by  one  impulse,  and 
remained  standing  until  the  President  and  Presi- 
dent-elect walked  up  the  aisle  arm-in-arm,  and 
stood  before  the  two  great  easy  chairs,  just  beneath 
the  clerk’s  desk  and  facing  the  door.  Mr.  Hayes 
was  flushed  to  absolute  redness.  Mr.  Garfield 
was  as  pale  as  death.  Both  were  nervous,  and 
they  seemed  glad  to  sink  into  their  chairs,  which 
was  the  signal  for  the  reseating  of  the  whole 
assemblage.  Then,  with  a searching  flash  Mr. 
Garfield’s  eye  sought  his  wife  and  mother  in  the 
gallery,  and  the  latter,  overcome  with  emotion, 
buried  her  face  in  her  hands  and  wept.  The  be 


556 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


lated  hands  of  the  clock  had  now  reached  the  hour 
of  12,  and  all  on  the  floor  again  rose  as  Vice- 
President-elect  Arthur  entered  on  the  arm  of 
Senator  Pendleton.  He  was  handsome,  dignified, 
perfectly  self-possessed  and  dressed  with  con- 
spicuous but  faultless  taste.  Vice-President 
Wheeler  introduced  him,  and  he  spoke  his  few 
words  without  notes.  In  a clear  voice,  and  with 
no  change  except  a tinge  of  pallor  to  betray 
agitation,  he  said: 

“ Senators  : I come  as  your  presiding  officer  with  genuine 
solicitude,  remembering  my  inexperience  in  parliamentary 
proceedings.  I cannot  forget  how  important,  intricate  and 
often  embarrassing  are  the  duties  of  the  Chair.  On  the 
threshold  of  our  official  association  I invoke  that  courtesy 
and  kindness  with  which  you  have  been  wont  to  aid  your 
presiding  officer.  I shall  need  your  constant  encouragement 
and  support,  and  I rely  with  confidence  upon  your  lenient 
judgment  of  any  errors  into  which  I may  fall.  In  return,  be 
assured  of  my  earnest  purpose  to  administer  your  rules  in  a 
spirit  of  absolute  fairness,  to  treat  every  Senator  at  all  times 
with  that  courtesy  and  just  consideration  due  to  the  represen- 
tatives of  equal  States,  and  to  do  my  part,  as  assuredly  each 
of  you  will  do  his,  to  maintain  the  order,  decorum  and  dignity 
of  the  Senate.  I trust  that  the  official  and  personal  relations 
upon  which  we  now  enter  will  be  marked  with  mutual  confi- 
dence and  regard,  and  that  all  our  obligations  will  be  so 
fulfilled  as  to  redound  to  our  own  honor,  to  the  glory  of  our 
common  country,  and  the  prosperity  of  all  its  people. 
(Applause).  I am  now  ready  to  take  the  oath  of  office  pre- 
scribed by  the  Constitution.” 

There  was  a round  of  applause,  and  then  Mr. 
Wheeler  administered  the  oath  of  office,  during 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


55  7 


which  profound  silence  reigned.  Next  Mr.  Wheeler 
spoke  a few  farewell  words,  alluding  „to  the  good 
feeling  that  had  always  been  shown  toward  him, 
and,  returning  his  thanks,  his  last  official  act  was 
performed  in  declaring  the  Senate  of  the  Forty- 
sixth  Congress  adjourned  sine  die.  The  new 
Vice-President  then  took  the  gavel,  the  new 
Senators  were  sworn  in  by  him,  and  the  extra 
session  of  the  Senate  began  in  the  usual  way. 

By  noon  10,000  people  had  gathered  before  the 
east  front  of  the  Capitol,  to  listen  to  President 
Garfield’s  inaugural,  and  to  see  him  sworn  in  as 
the  twenty-fourth  President  of  our  country. 

At  12.40  the  doors  of  the  rotunda  were  thrown 
open,  and  five  policemen  pushed  the  crowd 
assembled  upon  the  upper  steps  aside.  The 
stalwart  figure  of  Fred.  Douglass,  Marshal  of  the 
District,  next  appeared,  completely  overshadowing 
Mr.  McKenney,  Clerk  of  the  Supreme  Court,  who 
was  by  his  side.  Closely  following  them  came 
the  members  of  the  Supreme  Court,  wearing  their 
gowns  and  carrying  hats  in  their  hands,  in  spite  of 
the  nipping  March  air.  Following  the  Court  came 
Sergeant-at-Arms  Bright  of  the  Senate,  arm-in-arm 
with  Mr.  Pendleton,  recently  chosen  by  his  Demo- 
cratic associates  to  succeed  Mr.  Thurman  as 
President  pro  tempore  of  the  Senate.  Senators 
Bayard  and  Anthony,  two  of  the  oldest  members 
in  the  body  in  point  of  service,  followed.  After 
them  came  the  President  and  his  predecessor.  A 


558 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


loud  cheer  was  given  by  the  crowd  as  General 
Garfield  appeared.  Ex-Vice  President  Wheeler 
and  Senator  Ferry  came  next,  and  they  were 
followed  by  Vice-President  Arthur  and  Mr.  Burch, 
Secretary  of  the  Senate.  Senators  followed,  and 
they  -were  succeeded  by  members  of  the  Diploma- 
tic Corps  and  representatives  of  the  army  and 
navy.  General  Garfield  took  a seat  on  the  plat- 
form, Mr.  Hayes  on  his  right  hand  and  Chief 
Justice  Waite  on  the  left.  To  the  left  of  Mr. 
Hayes  Serge'ant-at-Arms  Bright  and  Senator 
Pendleton  occupied  chairs.  Immediately  behind 
him  sat  Mr.  Wheeler  and  Vice-President  Arthur. 
Mrs.  Garfield,  Mrs.  Hayes  and  the  President’s 
mother  were  also  seated  on  the  platform  behind 
the  President.  This  interesting  family  group  was 
made  more  interesting  by  the  presence  of  Fanny 
Hayes  and  Mollie  Garfield,  two  little  girls,  who 
stood  upon  the  platform  behind  the  ladies.  About 
ten  minutes  was  then  devoted  to  the  photographer, 
and  when  he  had  succeeded  in  securing  the  group 
for  posterity,  Mr.  Garfield  took  his  inaugural 
address  from  his  pocket  and  read  in  a clear,  strong 
voice  as  follows : 

“Fellow-citizens:  We  stand  to-day  upon  an  eminence 
which  overlooks  a hundred  years  of  national  life — a century 
crowded  with  perils,  but  crowned  with  the  triumphs  of  liberty 
and  law.  Before  continuing  the  onward  march,  let  us  pause 
on  this  height  for  a moment  to  strengthen  our  faith  and  renew 
our  hope  by  a glance  at  the  pathway  along  which  our  people 
have  traveled.  It  is  now  three  days  more  than  a hundred 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


559 


years  since  the  adoption  of  the  first  written  Constitution  of 
the  United  States — the  Articles  of  Confederation  and  Per- 
petual Union.  The  new  Republic  was  thus  beset  with  danger 
on  every  hand.  It  had  not  conquered  a place  in  the  family 
of  nations.  The  decisive  battle  of  the  War  for  Independence, 
whose  centennial  anniversary  will  soon  be  gratefully  celebrated 
at  Yorktown,  had  not  yet  been  fought.  The  colonists  were 
struggling  not  only  against  the  armies  of  a great  nation,  but 
against  the  settled  opinions  of  mankind ; for  the  world  did 
not  then  believe  that  the  supreme  authority  of  government 
could  be  safely  intrusted  to  the  guardianship  of  the  people 
themselves.  We  cannot  overestimate  the  fervent  love  of 
liberty,  the  intelligent  courage,  and  the  saving  common- 
sense  with  which  our  fathers  made  the  great  experiment  of 
self-government.  When  they  found,  after  a short  trial,  that 
the  confederacy  of  States  wras  too  weak  to  meet  the  necessity 
of  a vigorous  and  expanding  republic,  they  boldly  set  it  aside, 
and  in  its  stead  established  a national  union,  founded  directly 
upon  the  whole  of  the  people,  endowed  with  full  powers  of 
self-preservation  and  with  ample  authority  for  the  accomplish- 
ment of  other  great  objects.  Under  this  Constitution  bounda- 
ries of  freedom  have  been  enlarged,  the  foundations  of  order 
and  peace  have  been  strengthened,  and  the  growth  of  our 
people  in  all  the  better  elements  of  national  life  has  vindicated 
the  wisdom  of  the  founders  and  given  new  hope  to  their  de- 
scendants. Under  the  Constitution  our  people  long  ago 
made  themselves  safe  against  danger  from  without  and  secured 
for  their  mariners  and  flag  equality  of  rights  on  all  the  seas. 
Under  this  Constitution  twenty-five  States  have  been  added 
to  the  Union,  with  Constitutions  and  laws  framed  and  en- 
forced by  their  own  citizens  to  secure  the  manifold  blessings 
of  local  seif-governraent.  The  jurisdiction  of  their  Constitu- 
tion now  covers  an  area  fifty  times  greater  than  that  of  the 
original  thirteen  States,  and  a population  twenty  times  greater 
than  that  of  1780. 


560 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


“the  paramount  duty  of  the  executive. 

“The  supreme  trial  of  the  Constitution  came  at  last  under 
the  tremendous  pressure  of  civil  war.  We,  ourselves,  are 
witnesses  that  the  Union  emerged  from  the  blood  and  fire  of 
that  conflict  purified  and  made  stronger  for  all  the  beneficent 
purposes  of  good  government.  And  now,  at  the  close  of  this 
first  century  of  growth,  with  the  inspirations  of  its  history  in 
their  hearts,  our  people  have  lately  reviewed  the  condition  of 
the  nation,  passed  judgment  upon  the  conduct  and  opinions 
of  political  parties,  and  have  registered  their  will  concerning 
the  future  administration  of  the  Government.  To  interpret 
and  to  execute  that  will  in  accordance  with  the  Constitution 
is  the  paramount  duty  of  the  Executive. 

“Even  from  this  brief  review  it  is  manifest  that  the  nation 
is  resolutely  facing  to  the  front,  resolved  to  employ  its  best 
energies  in  developing  the  great  possibilities  of  the  future. 
Sacredly  preserving  whatever  has  been  gained  to  liberty  and 
good  government  during  the  century,  our  people  are  deter- 
mined to  leave  behind  them  all  those  bitter  controversies 
concerning  things  which  have  been  irrevocably  settled,  and 
the  further  discussion  of  which  can  only  stir  up  strife  and  de- 
lay the  onward  march. 

“The  supremacy  of  the  nation  and  its  laws  should  be  no 
longer  a subject  of  debate.  That  discussion  which  for  half  a 
century  threatened  the  existence  of  the  Union  was  closed  at 
last  in  the  high  court  of  war,  by  a decree  from  which  there  is 
no  appeal,  that  the  Constitution  and  the  laws  made  in  pursuance 
thereof  are  and  shall  continue  to  be  the  supreme  law  of  the 
land,  binding  alike  upon  the  States  and  the  people.  This 
decree  does  not  disturb  the  anatomy  of  the  States  nor  inter- 
fere with  any  of  their  necessary  rights  of  local  t elf-govern- 
ment ; but  it  does  fix  and  establish  the  permanent  supremacy 
of  the  Union.  The  will  of  the  nation,  speaking  with  the 
voice  of  battle  and  through  the  amended  Constitution,  has 
fulfilled  the  great  promise  of  1776  by  proclaiming  ‘liberty 
throughout  the  land  to  all  the  inhabitants  thereof.’ 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


561 

“ EMANCIPATION  AND  ENFRANCHISEMENT. 

“ The  elevation  of  the  negro  race  from  slavery  to  the  full 
rights  of  citizenship  is  the  most  important  political  change 
we  have  known  since  the  adoption  of  the  Constitution  of 
1787.  No  thoughtful  man  can  fail  to  appreciate  its  benefi- 
cent effect  upon  our  institutions  and  people.  It  has  freed  us 
from  the  perpetual  danger  of  war  and  dissolution.  It  has 
added  immensely  to  the  moral  and  individual  forces  of  our 
people.  It  has  liberated  the  master  as  well  as  the  slave  from 
a relation  which  wronged  and  enfeebled  both.  It  has  sur- 
rendered to  their  own  guardianship  the  manhood  of  more 
than  5,000,000  people,  and  has  opened  to  each  one  of  them 
a career  of  freedom  and  usefulness.  It  has  given  new  inspi- 
ration to  the  power  of  self-help  in  both  races  by  making  labor 
more  honorable  to  the  one  and  more  necessary  to  the  other. 
The  influence  of  this  force  will  grow  greater  and  bear  rich  fruit 
with  the  coming  years.  No  doubt  the  great  change  has  caused 
serious  disturbances  to  our  Southern  communities.  This  is 
to  be  deplored,  though  it  was  perhaps  unavoidable.  But  those 
who  resisted  the  change  should  remember  that  under  our  in- 
stitutions there  was  no  middle  ground  for  the  negro  race  be- 
tween slavery  and  equal  citizenship.  There  can  be  no  per- 
manent disfranchised  peasantry  in  the  United  States.  Free- 
dom can  never  yield  its  fullness  of  blessings  so  long  as  the 
law  or  its  administration  places  the  smallest  obstacle  in  the 
pathway  of  any  virtuous  citizen. 

“The  emancipated  race  has  already  made  remarkable  pro- 
gress. With  unquestioning  devotion  to  the  Union,  with  a 
patience  and  gentleness  not  born  of  fear,  they  have  ‘ followed 
the  light  as  God  gave  them  to  see  the  light.  ’ They  are  rapidly 
laying  the  material  foundations  of  self-support,  widening  the 
circle  of  intelligence,  and  beginning  to  enjoy  the  blessings 
that  gather  around  the  homes  of  the  industrious  poor.  They 
deserve  the  generous  encouragement  of  all  good  men.  So  far 
as  my  authority  can  lawfully  extend,  they  shall  enjoy  the  full 
and  equal  protection  of  the  Constitution  and  the  laws. 


562 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


“ FREEDOM  OF  THE  BALLOT  MUST  BE  PRESERVED. 

“The  free  enjoyment  of  equal  suffrage  is  still  in  question, 
and  a frank  statement  of  the  issue  may  aid  its  solution.  It  is 
alleged  that  in  many  communities  negro  citizens  are  practi- 
cally denied  the  freedom  of  the  ballot.  In  so  far  as  the  truth 
of  this  allegation  is  admitted,  it  is  answered  that  in  many 
places  honest  local  government  is  impossible  if  the  mass  of 
uneducated  negroes  are  allowed  to  vote.  These  are  grave 
allegations.  So  far  as  the  latter  is  true,  it  is  the  only  pallia- 
tion that  can  be  offered  for  opposing  the  freedom  of  the  bal- 
lot. Bad  local  government  is  certainly  a great  evil  which 
ought  to  be  prevented,  but'to  violate  the  freedom  and  sanctity 
of  the  suffrage  is  more  than  an  evil — it  is  a crime  which,  if 
persisted  in,  will  destroy  the  Government  itself.  Suicide  is 
not  a remedy.  If  in  other  lands  it  be  high  treason  to  com- 
pass the  death  of  a king,  it  should  be  counted  no  less  a crime 
here  to  strangle  our  sovereign  power  and  stifle  its  voice.  It 
has  been  said  that  unsettled  questions  have  no  pity  for  the  re- 
pose of  nations.  It  should  be  said,  with  the  utmost  emphasis, 
that  this  question  of  suffrage  will  never  give  repose  or  safety 
to  the  nation  until  each  State  within  its  own  jurisdiction 
makes  and  keeps  the  ballot  free  and  pure  by  the  strong  sanc- 
tions of  the  law.  But  the  danger  which  arises  from  igno- 
rance in  the  voter  cannot  be  denied.  It  covers  a field  far 
wider  than  that  of  negro  suffrage  and  the  present  condition 
of  that  race.  It  is  a danger  that  lurks  and  hides  in  the 
sources  and  fountains  of  power  in  every  State.  We  have  no 
standard  by  which  to  measure  the  disaster  that  may  be  brought 
upon  us  by  ignorance  and  vice  in  the  citizens  when  joined  to 
corruption  and  fraud  in  the  suffrage.  The  voters  of  the 
Union  who  make  and  unmake  Constitutions,  and  upon  whose 
will  hangs  the  destinies  of  our  Government,  can  transmit  su- 
preme authority  to  no  successor  save  the  coming  generation 
of  voters,  who  are  the  sole  heirs  of  sovereign  power.  If  that 
generation  comes  to  its  inheritance  blinded  by  ignorance  and 
corrupted  by  vice,  the  fall  of  the  Republic  will  be  certain  and 
remediless. 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD 


563 


“a  question  of  supreme  importance  to  the  south. 

“The  census  has  already  sounded  the  alarm  in  the  appall- 
ing figures  which  mark  how  dangerously  high  the  tide  of  illit- 
eracy has  risen  among  our  voters  and  their  children.  To  the 
South  this  question  is  of  supreme  importance.  But  the  re- 
sponsibility for  the  existence  of  slavery  did  not  rest  upon  the 
South  alone.  The  nation  itself  is  responsible  for  the  exten- 
sion of  the  suffrage,  and  is  under  special  obligations  to  aid  in 
removing  the  illiteracy  which  it  has  added  to  the  voting 
population.  For  the  North  and  South  alike  there  is  but  one 
remedy.  All  the  constitutional  power  of  the  nation  and  of 
the  States,  and  all  the  volunteer  forces  of  the  people  should 
be  summoned  to  meet  this  danger  by  the  saving  influence  of 
universal  education.  It  is  the  high  privilege  and  sacred  duty 
of  those  now  living  to  educate  their  successors  and  fit  them  by 
intelligence  and  virtue  for  the  inheritance  which  awaits  them. 
In  this  beneficent  work  sections  and  races  should  be  forgotten 
and  partisanship  should  be  unknown.  Let  our  people  find  a 
new  meaning  in  the  Divine  Oracle,  which  declares  that  ‘A 
little  child  shall  lead  them,’  for  our  little  children  will  soon 
control  the  destinies  of  the  Republic.  My  countrymen,  we 
do  not  now  differ  in  our  judgment  concerning  the  controver- 
sies of  past  generations,  and  fifty  years  hence  our  children 
will  not  be  divided  in  their  opinions  concerning  our  contro- 
versies. They  will  surely  bless  their  fathers  and  their  fathers’ 
God  that  the  Union  was  preserved,  that  slavery  was  over- 
thrown, and  that  both  races  were  made  equal  before  the  law. 
We  may  hasten  or  we  may  retard,  but  we  cannot  prevent  the 
final  reconciliation.  Is  it  not  possible  for  us  now  to  make  a 
truce  with  time  by  anticipating  and  accepting  its  inevitable 
verdict?  Enterprises  of  the  highest  importance  to  our  moral 
and  material  well-being  invite  us  and  offer  ample  scope  for 
the  employment  of  our  best  powers.  Let  all  our  people,  and 
leaving  behind  them  the  battle-fields  of  dead  issues,  move  for- 
ward, and  in  the  strength  of  liberty  and  the  restored  Union, 
win  the  grander  victories  of  peace. 


5 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


“congress  should  preserve  the  public  credit. 

“The  prosperity  which  now  prevails  is  without  a par- 
allel in  our  history.  Fruitful  seasons  have  done  much  to 
secure  it,  but  they  have  not  done  all.  The  preservation  of 
the  public  credit  and  the  resumption  of  specie  payments,  so 
successfully  attained  by  the  administration  of  my  predecessors, 
has  enabled  our  people  to  secure  the  blessings  which  the  sea- 
sons brought.  By  the  experience  of  commercial  nations,  in 
all  ages,  it  has  been  found  that  gold  and  silver  afford  the  only 
safe  foundation  for  a monetary  system.  Confusion  has  re- 
cently been  created  by  variations  in  the  relative  value  of  the  two 
metals,  but  I confidently  believe  that  arrangements  can  be  made 
between  the  leading  commercial  nations  which  will  secure  the 
general  use  of  both  metals.  Congress  should  provide  that 
the  compulsory  coinage  of  silver  now  required  by  law  may  not 
disturb  our  monetary  system  by  driving  either  metal  out  of 
circulation.  If  possible,  such  an  adjustment  should  be  made 
that  the  purchasing  power  of  every  coined  dollar  will  be  ex- 
actly equal  to  its  debt-paying  power  in  all  the  markets  of  the 
world. 

“ The  chief  duty  of  the  National  Government,  in  connection 
with  the  currency  of  the  country,  is  to  coin  money  and 
declare  its  value.  Grave  doubts  have  been  entertained 
whether  or  not  Congress  is  authorized  by  the  Constitution  to 
make  any  form  of  paper  money  legal  tender.  The  present 
issue  of  United  States  notes  has  been  sustained  by  the 
necessities  of  war,  but  such  paper  should  depend  for  its  value 
and  currency  upon  its  convenience  in  use  and  its  prompt 
redemption  in  coin  at  the  will  of  the  holder,  and  not  upon 
its  compulsory  circulation.  These  notes  are  not  money,  but 
promises  to  pay  money.  If  the  holders  demand  it  the 
promise  should  be  kept. 

“The  refunding  of  the  national  debt  at  a lower  rate  of 
interest  should  be  accomplished  without  compelling  the 
withdrawal  of  the  national  bank  notes,  and  thus  disturbing 
the  business  of  the  country.  I venture  to  refer  to  the  position 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


565 


I have  occupied  on  financial  questions  during  a long  service 
in  Congress,  and  to  say  that  time  and  experience  have 
strengthened  the  opinions  I have  so  often  expressed  on  these 
subjects.  The  finances  of  the  Government  shall  suffer  no 
detriment  which  it  may  be  possible  for  my  administration  to 
prevent. 

“ OUR  AGRICULTURAL  AND  MANUFACTURING  INTERESTS. 

“The  interests  of  agriculture  deserve  more  attention  from 
the  Government  than  they  have  yet  received.  The  farms  of 
the  United  States  afford  homes  and  employment  for  more 
than  one-lialf  our  people,  and  furnish  much  the  largest  part 
of  all  our  exports.  As  the  Government  lights  our  coasts  for 
the  protection  of  mariners  and  the  benefit  of  commerce,  so  it 
should  give  to  the  tillers  of  the  soil  lights  of  practical  science 
and  experience. 

“ Our  manufacturers  are  rapidly  making  us  industrially 
independent,  and  are  opening  to  capital  and  labor  new  and 
profitable  fields  of  employment.  Their  steady  and  healthy 
growth  should  still  be  maintained.  Our  facilities  for  trans- 
portation should  be  promoted  by  the  continued  improvement 
of  our  harbors  and  great  interior  waterways,  and  the  increase 
of  our  tonnage  on  the  ocean.  The  development  of  the  world’s 
commerce  has  led  to  an  urgent  demand  for  shortening  a great 
sea  voyage  around  Cape  Horn,  by  constructing  ship  canals  or 
railways  across  the  Isthmus  which  unites  the  two  continents. 
Various  plans  to  this  end  have  been  suggested,  and  will  need 
consideration,  but  none  of  them  have  been  sufficiently 
matured  to  warrant  the  United  States  in  extending  pecuniary 
aid.  The  subject,  however,  is  one  which  will  immediately 
engage  the  attention  of  the  Government,  with  a view  to  a 
thorough  protection  to  American  interests.  We  will  urge  no 
narrow  policy,  nor  seek  peculiar  or  exclusive  privileges  in  any 
commercial  route,  but,  in  the  language  of  my  predecessor,  I 
believe  it  to  be  ‘the  right’  and  duty  of  the  United  States  to 
assert  and  maintain  such  supervision  and  authority  over  any 


566 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


interoceanic  canal  across  the  Isthmus,  that  connects  North 
and  South  Amercia,  as  will  protect  our  national  interests. 

“ POLYGAMY  SHOULD  BE  PROHIBITED. 

“The  Constitution  guarantees  absolute  religious  freedom. 
Congress  is  prohibited  from  making  any  law  respecting  an 
establishment  of  religion,  or  prohibiting  the  free  exercise 
thereof.  The  Territories  of  the  United  States  are  subject  to 
the  legislative  authority  of  Congress,  and  hence  the  General 
Government  is  responsible  for  any  violation  of  the  Constitu- 
tion in  any  of  them.  It  j$,  therefore,  a reproach  to  the 
Government  that  in  the  most  populous  of  the  Territories  the 
constitutional  guarantee  is  not  enjoined  by  the  people,  and  the 
authority  of  Congress  is  set  at  naught.  The  Mormon  Church 
not  only  offends  the  moral  sense  of  mankind  by  sanctioning 
polygamy,  but  prevents  the  administration  of  justice  through 
the  ordinary  instrumentalities  of  law.  In  my  judgment  it  is 
the  duty  of  Congress,  while  respecting  to  the  uttermost  the 
conscientious  convictions  and  religious  scruples  of  every 
citizen,  to  prohibit  within  its  jurisdiction  all  criminal 
practices,  and  especially  of  that  class  which  destroy  the 
family  relations  and  endanger  social  order.  Nor  can  any 
ecclesiastical  organization  be  safely  permitted  to  usurp,  in  the 
smallest  degree,  the  functions  and  powers  of  the  National 
Government. 

“the  civil  service. 

“The  civil  service  can  never  be  placed  on  a satisfactory 
basis  until  it  is  regulated  by  law.  For  the  good  of  the  service 
itself,  for  the  protection  of  those  who  are  intrusted  with  the 
appointing  power  against  the  waste  of  time  and  obstruction  of 
the  public  business  caused  by  the  inordinate  pressure  for 
place,  and  for  the  protection  of  incumbents  against  intrigue 
and  wrong,  I shall  at  the  proper  time  ask  Congress  to  fix  the 
tenure  of  the  minor  offices  of  the  several  executive  depart- 


567 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 

ments  and  prescribe  the  grounds  upon  which  removals  shall 
be  made  during  terms  for  which  incumbents  have  been  ap- 
pointed. 

“the  purpose  of  the  administration. 

“Finally,  acting  always  within  the  authority  and  limitations 
of  the  Constitution,  invading  neither  the  rights  of  the  States 
nor  the  reserved  rights  of  the  people,  it  will  be  the  purpose  of 
my  administration  to  maintain  the  authority  of  the  nation, 
and  in  all  places  within  its  jurisdiction  to  enforce  obedience 
to  all  the  laws  of  the  Union  in  the  interests  of  the  people;  to 
demand  rigid  economy  in  all  the  expenditures  of  the  Govern- 
ment, and  to  require  the  honest  and  faithful  service  of  all 
executive  officers,  remembering  that  the  offices  were  created, 
not  for  the  benefit  of  the  incumbents  or  their  supporters,  but 
for  the  service  for  the  Government. 

“an  appeal  for  earnest  support. 

“And  now,  fellow-citizens,  I am  about  to  assume  the  great 
trust  which  you  have  committed  to  my  hands.  I appeal  for 
that  earnest  and  thoughtful  support  which  makes  this  Govern- 
ment in  fact,  as  it  is  in  law,  a Government  of  the  people.  I 
shall  greatly  rely  upon  the  wisdom  and  patriotism  of  Congress 
and  of  those  who  may  share  with  me  the  responsibilities  and 
duties  of  administration,  and,  above  all,  upon  our  efforts  to 
promote  the  welfare  of  this  great  people  and  their  govern- 
ment. I reverentially  invoke  the  support  and  blessings  of 
Almighty  God.” 

Before  the  address  was  read,  the  clouds  had 
completely  cleared  away,  and  the  sun  shone 
upon  the  glistening  bayonets  and  gay  uniforms, 
and  sparkled  upon  the  snow  beyond.  The  in- 
augural address  consumed  half  an  hour  in  its 
delivery,  and  was  applauded  frequently  by  that 


568 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


portion  of  the  audience  near  enough  to  hear. 
The  President  was  in  good  voice,  and  his  de- 
livery was  never  more  forcible  and  eloquent.  The 
rounded  sentences  fell  with  ease,  and  bore  to  the 
ear  of  every  hearer  a conviction  of  the  speaker’s 
earnestness,  if  not  of  his  wisdom,  of  his  apprecia- 
tion of  the  difficulties  before  him,  and  of  his  de- 
termination to  surmount  them  successfully.  As 
soon  as  the  address  was  over,  the  oath  of  office 
was  administered  by  the  Chief  Justice  of  the  Su- 
preme Court,  and  the  crowd  dispersed  to  join  the 
throngs  down  town,  while  the  President,  with  mag- 
nificent tenderness,  turned  and  kissed  his  mother. 

The  day  wound  up  with  fire-works  and  a ball. 
The  fire-works  were  of  the  most  elaborate  char- 
acter, and  attracted  thousands  of  spectators. 
Besides  the  State  illuminated  arches,  a good 
many  private  houses  and  public  buildings  were 
lit  up.  Commencing  with  a gorgeous  and  beau- 
tiful illumination  of  the  south  end  of  the  Trea- 
sury Building,  grounds  and  the  Washington 
Monument,  this  was  succeeded  by  continuous 
flights  of  rockets,  parachutes,  with  changing-col- 
ored fires,  bombshells,  etc.,  forming  great  jewel- 
clouds  in  the  heavens.  The  set  pieces  presented 
a magnificent  tree,  with  golden  foliage  ; a superb 
sun,  with  coruscating  radiators ; the  national 
coat-of-arms,  very  brilliant ; a compliment  to  the 
army  and  navy,  containing  an  emblem  of  each, 
with  the  letters  “Army  and  Navy,”  around  which 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


569 


revolved  the  national  ensign  ; the  grand  cataract 
of  Niagara,  one  of  the  most  superb  efforts  of 
the  pyrotechnic  art,  the  whole  ending  with  a de- 
vice, in  which  appeared  life-like  portraits  of  the 
President  and  Vice-President.  The  beauty  of 
this  picture  was  very  great.  As  the  portraits 
opened  out  in  lines  of  silver  fire,  the  whole  back- 
ground presented  one  great  mass  of  streams  of 
colored  fires  of  the  most  brilliant  and  varied  hues, 
which,  together  with  the  springing  of  mines  and 
exploding  of  shells,  formed  a spectacle  of  splendor. 
As  the  stars  from  the  last  shell  disappeared,  a 
magnificent  bouquet,  like  a huge  volcano,  as- 
cended, filling  the  heavens  with  every  gem  known 
to  the  art.  This  terminated  the  best  pyrotech- 
nical  display  ever  seen  in  Washington. 

The  ball  was  an  equal  success.  The  broad 
avenues  leading  to  the  building  afforded  easy 
access.  From  the  outside  the  immense  structure, 
with  its  hundreds  of  windows,  through  which 
the  many-colored  lights  came  streaming  out,  pre- 
sented a scene  of  unwonted  brilliancy.  Upon  enter- 
ing, the  most  conspicuous  decoration  to  attract 
the  attention  was  the  statue  of  America,  placed  di- 
rectly in  the  centre  of  the  rotunda  upon  a lofty  base, 
deeply  banked  in  tropical  plants,  and  holding  in 
her  left  hand  a shield  and  in  her  right  a torch, 
from  which  a powerful  electric  light  shed  its  bril- 
liancy down  the  four  wings  which  diverge  from 
the  central  nave  at  angles  to  each  other.  Cables 

o 


57o 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


of  evergreens,  relieved  with  rare  flowers,  stretched 
from  the  ceiling,  and  hung  in  mid  air,  while  the 
numerous  pillars,  extending  from  the  floor  to  the 
lofty  ceiling,  were  banked  with  flowers  and  ever- 
greens, and  adorned  with  shields  bearing  the 
heraldic  emblems  of  the  several  States  and  Terri- 
tories, with  flags,  streamers  and  bunting  twined 
about  and  pendant  from  them.  Thousands  of 
gas-jets  illuminated  the  scene,  and  made  it  one  of 
almost  matchless  beauty.  At  9 o’clock,  the  hour 
at  which  the  President  was  expected,  it  was  esti- 
mated that  between  3,000  and  4,000  people  had 
entered  the  building.  At  9.30  the  Germania  Or- 
chestra, of  Philadelphia,  of  one  hundred  pieces, 
announced  the  entrance  of  the  President  by  play- 
ing with  fine  effect  the  Inaugural  March  (com- 
posed for  the  occasion  by  John  Philip  Sousa). 
After  being  presented  to  the  inaugural  reception 
committee  in  a body,  the  President  and  invited 
guests  moved  in  procession  from  the  committee’s 
rooms  in  the  following  order,  to  the  place  reserved 
for  them  in  the  hall : President  Garfield,  attended 
by  J.  W.  Thompson,  President  of  the  Execu- 
tive Committee ; ex-President  Hayes,  with  Hon. 
Samuel  Shellabarger  and  Dr.  Welling;  Mrs.  Gar- 
field, wife  of  the  President,  attended  by  Colonel 
H.  C.  Corbin  and  Hon.  A.  G.  Riddle ; Mrs.  Gar- 
field, mother  of  the  President,  attended  by  Hon. 
Wm.  Lawrence  and  Mr.  N.  H.  Willard;  Mrs. 
Hayes,  attended  by  Hon.  John  B.  Alley.  After 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


571 


them  came  Vice-President  Arthur,  ex-Vice-Presi- 
dent  Wheeler,  General  Sherman  and  staff,  Gen- 
eral Hancock  and  staff,  General  Sheridan,  Gen- 
eral Beale,  Admiral  Rodgers,  Colonel  Ainger, 
Chief  Justice  Waite  and  the  Associate  Justices  of 
the  Supreme  Court,  the  Chief  Justice  and  the 
Associate  Justices  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  the 
District  of  Columbia,  Chief  Justice  and  Judges  of 
the  Court  of  Claims,  and  the  Inaugural  Reception 
Committee.  Upon  reaching  the  place  designated, 
the  President  took  position,  and,  for  an  hour  or 
more,  received  with  blended  dignity  and  cordiality 
all  who  came  forward  to  receive  and  exchange 
greetings.  Among  the  first  was  General  Han- 
cock, and  the  unaffected  cordiality  on  the  part  of 
both  was  noticed.  Shortly  before  eleven  o’clock 
the  President  and  his  immediate  party  ascended 
to  the  Presidential  balcony,  remaining  interested 
witnesses  of  the  brilliant  scenes  beneath  for 
twenty  minutes  or  more.  A few  minutes  after 
eleven  o’clock  the  President  with  his  wife  and 
mother,  retired,  and,  proceeding  to  the  carriage  in 
waiting,  were  driven  to  the  White  House.  Con- 
trary to  general  expectation,  the  President  did  not 
take  part  in  the  opening  dance.  The  promenade 
concert  continued  until  eleven  o’clock.  Then  the 
dancing  began,  and,  when  the  ball  was  at  its  height, 
the  scene  was  one  of  unusual  brilliancy. 


57  2 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


CHAPTER  XXXVII. 


THE  EARLY  DAYS  OF  GARFIELD’S  ADMINISTRATION. 

^ ¥ ''HE  next  day,  on  the  Senate  assembling 
in  special  session,  the  Vice-President 
promptly  read  a special  message  from 
the  President  announcing  the  Cabinet.  It  was 
composed  as  follows : 

Secretary  of  State  : James  G.  Blaine. 

Secretary  of  the  Treasury:  William  Windom. 

Secretary  of  the  Interior:  Samuel  J.  Kirkwood. 

Secretary  of  the  Navy:  William  PI.  Hunt. 

Secretary  of  War:  Robert  T.  Lincoln. 

Postmaster-General : Thomas  L.  James. 

Attorney-General : Wayne  McVeagh. 

Of  these,  Secretary  Blaine  is  the  best  known, 
and  it  is  hardly  needful  to  say  a word  as  to  his 
career.  He  is  fifty-one  years  old.  Mr.  Windom 
is  three  years  older,  and  a native  of  Ohio,  though  a 
Senator  from  Minnesota.  He  is  a lawyer  by  pro- 
fession. Mr.  Lincoln,  the  son  of  the  Immortal, 
likewise  a lawyer,  and  is  thirty-seven  years  of  age. 
Mr.  Hunt,  the  Naval  Secretary,  is  nearly  sixty, 
and  a native  of  Carolina.  Mr.  Kirkwood  was 
born  in  1813,  and,  therefore,  is  the  senior  of  them 
all.  He,  too,  is  a lawyer.  Thomas  L.  James  is 


Wayne  MacVeagh, 

ATTY. -GENERAL. 


Thomas  L.  James. 

POSTMASTER-GEN. 


William  Windom, 

SECT.  OF  THE  TREASURY. 


James  G.  Blaine, 

SECT.  OF  STATE. 


William  M.  Hunt, 

SECT.  OF  THE  NAVY. 


Robert  T.  Lincoln, 

SECT.  OF  WAR. 


Samuel  J.  Kirkwood, 

SECT,  OF  THE  INTERIOR. 


PRESIDENT  GARFIELD’S  CABINET. 


?AMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


5 73 


just  fifty,  and  has  had  no  other  profession  than 
that  of  public  life.  Wayne  McVeagh  is  forty- 
eiofht,  and  a native  of  the  State  from  which  he  was 
appointed.  The  Cabinet  was  received  with 
applause,  though  it  undoubtedly  is  not  so  strong 
a Cabinet  as  that  with  which  Mr.  Hayes  began 
his  administration.  It  was,  too,  universally  be- 
lieved that  it  was  not  constructed  for  four  years’ 
service,  but  that  it  would  have  to  be  materially 
changed  before  Mr.  Garfield  finished  his  first 
term.  This  belief  has  been  strengthened  per- 
ceptibly during  the  first  months  of  the  new 
administration,  and  it  is  now  probable  that  Mr. 
Wayne  McVeagh  will  retire  before  long,  when  he 
will  either  be  gratified  in  one  of  his  pet  ambitions, 
the  English  Mission,  or  retire  to  private  life. 

The  reasons  for  thinking  that  the  Cabinet  could 
not  last  out  the  President’s  first  term  were  suof- 
gested  by  the  political  complexion  of  those  Mr. 
Garfield  had  chosen  for  advisers.  Mr.  Blaine 
represented  that  force  in  politics  with  which 
Mr.  Garfield  was  most  in  sympathy — an  extreme 
stalwart,  but  an  anti-Grant  man,  in  so  far  as  Grant 
was  represented  in  the  persons  of  his  trainers, 
Messrs.  Conkling,  Cameron  and  Lo^an.  Mr. 
James  and  Mr.  Windom  were  offerings  to  Mr. 
Conkling ; Senator  Logan  was  appeased  m the 
person  of  Secretary  Lincoln ; Don  Cameron  was 
defied  in  the  selection  of  Wayne  McVeagh; 
McVeagh  having  been  one  of  the  Independents 


574 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


Pennsylvania,  it  was  supposed  his  appointment 
would  gratify  that  portion  of  the  Republican 
party  in  the  Keystone  State,  a great  mistake  in 
supposition,  as  Mr.  McVeagh  has  no  political 
following-  whatever  in  his  own  State-.  This 
appointment  was  certainly  unwise.  Judge  Hunt 
was  the  share  of  the  South  in  the  Cabinet,  and 
Mr.  Kirkwood  was  a tribute  to  the  Banner  State 
of  the  party.  Mr.  Kirkwood,  however,  is  mani- 
festly too  many  years  behind  the  age  to  make  a 
good,  brilliant  public  officer,  in  a department  where 
brilliancy  is  sorely  needed,  combined  with  neither 
Western  nor  Eastern  ideas,  but  with  civilized 
ideas.  There  was  also  some  reference  to  g^eo- 
graphical  division  in  appointing  Mr.  Kirwood  as 
there  was  to  party  lines.  On  the  whole,  however, 
the  country  was  satisfied,  and  the  Cabinet  was 
confirmed  by  the  Senate  without  a dissenting 
voice. 

Though  the  stalwart  element  was  in  the  majority 
there  were  many  who,  in  reading  over  the  names 
of  the  illustrious  seven,  foresaw  a conflict  in  the 
near  future,  when  those  who  had  championed 
Grant  would  array  themselves  against  the  admin- 
istration. No  one,  indeed,  expected  smooth 
sailing,  and  it  was  not  very  long  before  the  squall 
came. 

On  assuming  the  reins  of  government  there 
were  only  two  immediate  problems  presented  to 
President  Garfield  that  were  surrounded  with  seri- 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


5/5 


ous  difficulties.  One  was  the  satisfactory  adjust- 
ment of  the  claims  of  the  enormous  army  of  office 
seekers,  who  had  peopled  the  capital  and  invaded 
the  White  House,  even  to  the  President’s  private 
apartments.  The  other  was  the  great  and  impor- 
tant question  of  what  should  be  done  with  the 
maturing  debt.  For  the  adequate  settlement  of 
this  question  it  was  proposed  to  call  an  extra  ses- 
sion of  Congress.  But  the  President  discovered, 
on  investigation,  that  the  bonds  falling  due  during 
the  summer  could  be  redeemed  without  any  legis- 
lation. After  a good  deal  of  consultation  and  in- 
vestigation, a plan  was  matured  by  Mr.  Windom, 
on  suorcrestions  from  the  President,  for  the  extend- 
ing  of  the  bonds  at  a lower  rate  of  interest — three 
and  one-half  per  cent.  The  plan  was  acceptable 
in  a high  degree  to  the  country,  and  the  loans 
were  paid  when  due  by  new  bonds,  issued  at  this 
lower  rate,  thereby  saving  the  country  many  mil- 
lions of  dollars.  The  first  great  problem  was  thus 
most  satisfactorily  disposed  of. 

The  remaining  problem  was  a far  more  serious, 
far  more  difficult  one — the  feeding  of  the  army  of 
placemen.  The  tremendous  rush  for  appoint- 
ments, to  pay  for  work  done  in  the  cause,  had 
so  grown  during  the  last  twelve  years  as  to  amount, 
when  President  Garfield  assumed  office,  to  almost 
a revolution.  The  President  had  in  his  gift  about 
100,000  offices,  for  which  there  were  about  500,000 
applicants.  It  was,  therefore,  necessary  to  offend 


576 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


400,000  men  and  their  friends,  or  at  least  a million 
of  people.  To  apportion  out  these  100,000  offices 
amounted,  therefore,  almost  to  a social  revolu- 
tion; and  the  incurring  the  enmity  of  a million  of 
men  meant  danger,  great  danger.  It  would  pro- 
duce a diseased  political  atmosphere  ; the  atmos- 
phere of  discontent,  that  at  any  moment  might  dis- 
charge some  thunderbolt  to  do  an  ineffaceable 
national  damage. 

With  this  before  him,  can  the  reader  wonder 
that  President  Garfield  began  his  appointments  in 
peril  ? His  first  struggle  with  political  opponents 
was,  as  it  had  been  predicted  from  the  previous 
November  it  would  be,  with  the  Grant,  or  stalwart, 
faction  of  the  party  to  which  the  President  be- 
longed. On  the  2 2d  of  March,  Stewart  L.  Wood- 
ford  was  renominated  for  his  old  place  of  District 
Attorney  for  the  Southern  District  of  New  York. 
On  the  same  day  several  other  nominations  were 
made  that  were  agreeable  to  Senator  Conkling’s 
feelings  and  desires.  The  day  following,  William 
H.  Robertson,  of  Westchester,  N.  Y.,  a State 
Senator  and  President  of  the  New  York  Senate, 
was  appointed  Collector  of  the  Port  of  Mew  York, 
in  place  of  Edwin  A.  Merritt,  transferred  to  the 
Consul  Generalship  of  London. 

This  was  the  spark  that  fired  the  waiting  train. 
Mr.  Robertson  was  the  active  organizer  and  leader 
of  the  bolt  in  the  New  York  delegation  to  the 
convention  that  nominated  Mr.  Garfield.  This 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


5 77 


bolt  aided  considerably  in  the  defeat  of  General 
Grant,  and  placed  Mr.  Conkling  in  the  light  of  a 
leader  powerless  to  manage  his  own  State,  a posi- 
tion that  not  only  injured  his  prestige,  but  hurt  his 
vanity.  Every  one  predicted  an  immediate  fight 
between  the  Senator  from  New  York  and  the 
President.  There  seemed  to  be  no  help  for  it. 
Mr.  Robertson’s  nomination  was  in  the  last  de- 
gree distasteful  to  Mr.  Conkling,  as  it  dealt  a 
fatal  blow  to  his  power  in  his  own  State,  and 
wounded  his  personal  pride.  The  nomination  was 
reputed  to  be — falsely,  I think — the  work  of  Sec- 
retar}'’  Blaine.  This  was  enough  of  itself  to  throw 
Mr.  Conkling  into  a rage,  and  he  promptly  worked 
himself  into  one. 

Before  speaking  of  the  immediate  results  of  the 
Robertson  nomination,  it  will  be  necessary  to  go 
back  a few  months.  General  William  Mahone,  of 
Virginia,  a champion  of  repudiation,  had,  during 
the  winter,  been  bargained  with  by  some  of  the 
stalwart  Republicans,  including  Senators  Cameron 
and  Conkling.  It  was  agreed  between  them  that 
General  Mahone  would,  in  the  organization  of  the 
Senate,  vote  with  the  Republicans,  in  considera- 
tion of  being  allowed  to  name  the  sergeant-at- 
arms.  It  so  happened  that  this  little  bargain, 
while  it  enabled  the  Republicans  to  organize  the 
Senate  Committees  in  favor  of  the  Republicans, 
produced,  from  a variety  of  causes,  a dead-lock, 
which  at  the  outset  was  most  fiercely  maintained 


578 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


and  which  either  side  was  afraid  to  break.  This 
prevented  going  into  executive  session,  and  so 
precluded,  as  long  as  the  dead  lock  lasted,  any  ac- 
tion upon  the  nominations  sent  to  the  Senate. 

With  the  opening  days  of  April,  it  was  fairly 
well  understood  at  Washington,  that  the  country 
was  disgusted  at  its  senators  and  their  paltry 
wrangling  over  the  spoils  of  victory.  The  earnest- 
minded  of  them  endeavored  to  break  the  dead- 
lock, which,  by  this  time,  had  become  exceedingly 
embarrassing  to  the'  President,  owing  to  the  in- 
convenience of  having  several  hundred  nomina- 
tions unconfirmed.  After  a good  deal  of  talk,  it 
was  finally  decided  to  hold  a caucus  of  Republi- 
cans, and  thereafter  abandon  the  question  of  the 
re-organization  of  the  Senate  until  all  the  nomina- 
tions of  the  President  had  been  acted  on.  By 
this  time  the  fmht  between  the  President  and 

o 

Mr.  Conkling  was  an  open  one.  It  was  per- 
fectly understood,  that  Mr.  Robertson’s  confirma- 
tion would  be  opposed  by  every  means  in  the 
power  of  the  senior  Senator  from  New  York, 
An  attempt  was  made  to  get  the  President  to 
withdraw  Mr.  Robertson’s  name,  but  with  no 
avail.  Several  meetings  of  the  Republican  cau- 
cus were  held,  and  on  May  2d,  the  caucus  re- 
solved that  executive  sessions  be  held  immediately 
— the  Democrats  being  willing  to  go  into  executive 
session,  but  unwilling  to  organize  the  Senate  in  the 
interests  of  the  Republicans,  and  adopting  dilatory 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


579 


motions  to  prevent  it — and  that  contested  nomi- 
nations lie  over.  A nomination  was  said  to  be 
contested  if  it  was  opposed  by  one  Senator  from 
the  State  from  which  the  nominee  was  ap- 
pointed.  The  effect  of  this  was,  of  course,  to 
force  Mr.  Robertson’s  nomination  to  go  over  until 
December  next,  and  to  obtain  for  Mr.  Conkling  a 
victory  over  the  President.  With  this  result,  Mr. 
Conkling  was  highly  pleased,  for  he  had  succeeded 
in  driving  the  senators  into  a support  of  him 
without  making  an  open  rupture  between  them 
and  the  President.  Mr.  Conkling,  it  seemed  that 
night,  had  the  best  of  it. 

The  President,  however,  was  not  yet  beaten. 
With  magnificent  pluck,  that  was  hailed  by  the 
people  everywhere  with  applause,  he  dealt  Mr. 
Conkling  a fatal  blow.  The  next  morning,  May 
5th,  all  the  nominations  that  were  pleasing  to  Mr. 
Conkling  were  withdrawn.  That  of  Judge 
Robertson  was  not.  This  defined  the  issue 
sharply.  It  was  very  easy  for  the  stalwart  Sena- 
tors in  the  Senate  to  wish  Mr.  Conkling  well,  and 
to  do  what  they  could  to  aid  him  in  calling  the 
President  a liar — for  Mr.  Conkling  maintained 
that  the  President  lied  to  him — but  it  was  quite 
another  thing  when  they  were  obliged  to  call  the 
President  a liar  in  chorus  with  the  offended  Sena- 
tor. Senators  Dawes,  Ingalls,  Allison,  Jones,  of 
Nevada,  and  others  went  to  the  White  House  and 
endeavored  to  persuade  the  President  to  with- 


58o 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


draw  the  nomination  of  Mr.  Robertson.  The 
interview  was  a long  and  stormy  one.  The  Presi- 
dent expressed  his  opinion  of  the  action  of  Mr. 
Conkling  and  of  the  Republican  caucus  in  carrying 
out  what  he  termed  Mr.  “ Conkling’s  plan  ” very 
freely.  He  absolutely  refused  to  withdraw  Mr. 
Robertson’s  nomination.  The  Senators  returned, 
and  reported  the  results  of  their  conference  to  a 
number  of  Senators  at  the  Capitol.  On  the  day 
previous,  the  caucus  had  decided  to  consider  all  but 
contested  nominations,  and  the  President  asked  if 
certain  nominations  had  been  singled  out  for  imme- 
diate confirmation  and  others  for  vexatious  delay. 
He  was  told  the  result  of  the  caucus  decision. 
His  reply  is  reported  to  have  been,  “ Then  I will 
take  my  own  course.  I am  determined  to  learn 
who  are  my  friends,  and  such  as  fail  me  will  here- 
after require  a letter  of  introduction.” 

There  could  now  be  no  doubt  that  Judge  Rob- 
ertson would  be  confirmed  and  Mr.  Conkling  de- 
feated. Caucuses  were  called,  and  Conkling  de- 
fended his  cause  as  best  he  could.  Senator  Frye 
upheld  the  administration.  To  Mr.  Conkling  it 
was  perfectly  clear  that  he  was  to  be  defeated. 
He  cast  about  him  for  a new  expedient.  He  found 
it.  On  May  1 6th,  like  a spoiled  child,  that  cries 
because  he  cannot  have  own  way,  Mr.  Conkling 
offered  his  resignation  as  a Senator  from  New 

O 

York.  His  colleague  and  tool,  Mr.  Platt,  did 
likewise.  This  move  was  undoubtedly  made  be- 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


581 


cause  Mr.  Conkling  thought  he  would  be  re- 
elected promptly  by  his  own  Legislature,  and 
thus  “vindicated”  in  his  course  by  his  own  State. 
He  had  had  no  difficulty  in  having  Mr.  Platt 
elected  a short  time  before,  and  he  of  course 
could  imagine  nothing  that  would  interfere  with 
his  own  triumphant  and  prompt  re-election.  Mr. 
Robertson  was  confirmed  on  May  18th. 

The  fight  was  now  transferred  to  Albany,  a city 
much  more  completely  under  Mr.  Conkling’s 
thumb  than  Washington.  But  even  here  his  very 
first  move  was  checkmated.  By  the  law  of  New 
York  an  election  to  fill  a vacancy,  if  the  Legisla- 
ture is  in  session,  must  be  held  the  second  Tues- 
day after  the  announcement  to  the  Legislature  of 
a vacancy.  Mr.  Conkling  forwarded  his  resigna- 
tion to  Governor  Cornell  on  Monday  the  15th,  but 
the  governor  failed  to  announce  it  to  the  Senate 
before  an  adjournment  was  had,  and  the  election 
was,  in  consequence,  postponed  for  a fortnight. 
This  was  a defeat.  It  gave  the  country  time  to 
speak,  which  it  did,  so  unmistakably  that  when  the 
balloting  for  successors  to  Messrs.  Conkling  and 
Platt  began  on  May  30th,  Mr.  Conkling  was 
already  beaten,  and  he  found  pitted  against  his 
claims  119  votes  out  of  a total  of  154.  The  de- 
feat was  specific  and  actual.  Mr.  Conkling  went 
in  person  to  Albany,  accompanied  by  ex-Senator 
Platt  and  Vice-President  Arthur.  All  three  of 
these  gentlemen  labored  with  the  desperation  of 


5§2 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


a lost  cause,  and  it  was,  in  the  case  of  the  Vice* 
President,  a disgusting  exhibition  of  pot-house 
politics.  Everything  known,  good  or  bad,  was  tried 
to  secure  the  result;  but  Mr.  Conkling  was  beaten. 
The  people  were  against  him  and  for  the  admin- 
istration. 

Were  they  justified  in  this?  the  reader  will  ask. 
Let  us  see.  In  organizing  his  administration,  Presi- 
dent Garfield  gave  the  strongest  proof  of  his  ear- 
nest purpose  to  unite  and  consolidate  the  Republi- 
can party.  He  was  careful  to  recognize  all  its 
distinctive  elements.  He  had  been  nominated  by 
the  triumph  of  one  wing  over  the  other ; but  he 
had  been  elected  by  the  hearty  union  of  all,  and 
in  entering  upon  his  trust  he  remembered  his 
obligations  to  each.  His  success  represented  the 
united  strength  of  the  party,  and  the  purpose  ap- 
parent in  the  construction  of  his  Cabinet  and  in 
his  subsequent  appointments  was  to  perpetuate 
this  good  feeling.  The  one  thing  which  his  first 
acts  illustrated  above  all  others  was  the  determi- 
nation to  treat  all  sections  of  the  party  with  fair- 
ness, and  call  them  all  to  his  support.  Such  a 
policy  was  peculiarly  in  harmony  with  his  public 
career  and  character.  He  had  never  been  known 
as  a factionist.  Though  long  eminent  as  a Re- 
publican leader,  he  had  not  been  conspicuous  in 
the  internal  conflicts  of  the  party.  His  shining 
plume  had  often  been  foremost  in  the  charge 
against  the  common  foe,  but  had  never  waved  in 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


533 


the  thick  of  internecine  strife.  His  impulses  and 
sympathies  naturally  identified  him  with  the  inde- 
pendent and  progressive  elements  of  the  party, 
but  he  had  not  vehemently  antagonized  the  other 
side.  In  the  battles  which  raged  between  different 
wings  he  took  no  active  part,  but  rather  exerted 
his  influence  to  moderate  passion  and  compose 
dissensions.  He  had  not  participated  in  the  strug- 
gle for  patronage ; he  did  not  represent  a State 
which  was  divided  between  the  contending  fac- 
tions, and  so  was  not  compelled  to  join  in  the  war ; 
and  no  prominent  leader  was  more  exempt  from 
factious  affiliations  and  prejudices  or  more  free  to 
do  justice  to  all  sides.  This  course  was  equally 
the  natural  outcome  of  his  career  and  the  manifest 
dictate  of  his  position. 

But  in  the  practical  steps  he  had  taken  to  exe- 
cute this  purpose,  he  had  been  confronted  with  an 
onerous  task.  It  was  the  independent  Republi- 
cans of  New  York  and  Pennsylvania  that  opened 
the  way  to  his  nomination.  But  for  their  action 
General  Grant  would  have  swept  the  field  at 
Chicago,  and  General  Garfield  would  not  even 
have  been  mentioned  as  a candidate  in  the  Con- 
vention. The  President  was  indebted  to  their 
attitude  for  his  selection  as  the  standard-bearer 
and  he  could  not  well  be  insensible  to  the  obliga- 
tion thus  imposed  upon  him.  More  than  that,  as 
a Republican  leader  and  as  a member  of  the  Con- 
vention, he  sustained  the  principle  of  independent 


584 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


district  representation  upon  which  they  acted,  and 
justified  their  course  in  disregarding  the  instruc- 
tion of  the  State  Conventions  and  separating  from 
the  majority  of  the  State  delegations.  Under  such 
circumstances  he  could  not  permit  them  to  be  pro- 
scribed on  that  account.  He  knew  and  appreci- 
ated the  great  services  of  General  Grant,  ex-Sena- 
tor  Conkling,  and  other  aggressive  leaders.  He 
recognized  Mr.  Conkling  not  only  as  a master 
spirit  of  the  Senate,  but  as  the  powerful  Republi- 
can chief  of  New  York,  who  was  justly  entitled  to 
consideration.  With  his  direct  obligations  to  the 
independents  for  his  nomination,  and  to  the  stal- 
warts for  the  fiery  and  successful  energy  which 
they  imparted  to  the  campaign,  it  would  be  strange 
if  he  did  not  feel  a deep  sense  of  gratitude  to  both, 
if  he  did  not  recognize  the  claims  of  each,  and  if 
he  did  not  seek  to  unite  them  in  a common  sup- 
port of  his  administration. 

This  is  precisely  what  he  undertook  to  do. 
He  nominated  a number  of  conspicuous  officers 
for  New  York  because  they  were  the  friends  of 
Mr.  Conkling.  He  nominated  Judge  Robertson 
for  Collector  because  he  was  the  foremost  repre- 
sentative of  the  independents.  Mr.  Conkling  ac- 
cepted the  twelve  nominations  made  in  his  favor 
with  silence,  as  his  right.  When  Judge  Robertson 
was  nominated  he  flew  into  a temper,  denounced 
the  President  as  a liar,  and  declared  war  to  the 
knife.  Was  this  just,  fair  or  honest? 


"JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


5S5 


It  was,  however,  to  have  been  expected  of  him. 
For  he  has  ever  since  his  entry  into  public  life — 
in  1854 — won  his  greatest  notoriety  as  a quarreler. 
As  District  Attorney  in  one  of  the  rural  commu- 
nities of  New  York,  and  as  Mayor  of  the  city  of 
Utica,  he  early  disclosed  his  pragmatic  disposition. 
Elected  to  the  Thirty-seventh  Congress,  he  first 
engaged  public  attention  by  his  dandified  attire 
and  coxcombical  appearance,  and  then  by  the  fa- 
cility with  which  he  precipitated  himself  into  petty 
quarrels  with  the  members-  of  his  own  party  in 
the  House  of  Representatives.  Indeed,  it  maybe 
said  that  what  first  drew  public  attention  to  Mr. 
Conkling,  was  the  terrific  onslaught  which  he  in- 
vited from  Mr.  James  G.  Blaine,  then  a Repre- 
sentative from  Maine.  It  was  absolutely  true,  as 
was  then  said  of  Mr.  Conkling,  that  he  was  pomp- 
ous, insufferable  in  manner,  and  arrogant  in  his 
pretentions.  He  held  himself  to  be  too  good  for 
association  with  the  common  herd  of  Representa- 
tives and  Senators.  If  there  was  anything  to  be 
asked  of  President  Lincoln,  which  demanded  a 
concert  of  action  among  the  Representatives,  Mr. 
iConkling  invariably  refused  to  join  any  embassy 
to  the  White  House.  He  went  in  solitary  state, 
scorning  his  companions  and  colleagues,  and 
impressed  his  views  upon  the  President  in  his  own 
magniloquent  fashion.  As  soon  as  he  was  strong 
enough  to  form  a faction  inside  the  Republican 
party,  he  organized  a Conkling  wing,  the  Repub- 


586 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


licans  of  New  York  being  thenceforth  divided  into 
two  sections,  one  of  which  was  composed  of  those 
who  had  been  driven  off  in  consequence  of  their 
refusal  to  perform  the  kotow  to  the  new  rising 
chief. 

He  quarreled  with  Andy  Johnson,  and  for  a 
long  time  he  could  not  get  along  with  Grant 
Grant  quarreled  with  Greeley  and  Fenton  in  or- 
der to  satisfy  him,  and  even  afterwards,  when  he 
was  getting  everything,  he  asked  the  administra- 
tion was  in  a perpetual  spasm  to  keep  the  peace 
with  him.  With  Mr.  Hayes  he  quarreled  for  four 
years.  And  Mr.  Garfield  had  hardly  made  him- 
self at  home  before  Mr.  Conkling  was  making 
war  upon  him. 

Mr.  Conkling,  too,  has  constantly  exhibited  him- 
self to  the  American  people  as  shaken  by  childish 
resentments,  and  spurred  on  by  the  most  ignoble 
of  passions.  The  god  whom  he  adores  is  none 
other  than  himself,  and,  with  unfounded  ar- 
rogance, he  has  always  posed  as  a great  leader  of 
his  party.  If  he  has  ever  done  the  Republican 
party  any  service,  he  has  performed  that  service 
only  as  an  incident  of  his  own  advancement.  In 
1872,  and  in  1878,  when  fie  was  a candidate  for 
re-election  to  the  Senate,  he  threw  himself  into  the 
canvass  with  unbounded  enthusiasm.  In  1874  he 
was  silent.  In  1876,  when  he  had  been  defeated 
for  the  Presidential  nomination,  he  refused,  for  a 
long  time,  to  take  the  field  for  the  Republican 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


587 


ticket,  and  only  consented  to  speak  once  or  twice, 
when  the  Republican  chiefs  had  worked  over  him, 
adjuring  him  to  do  something  for  his  own  reputa- 
tion. After  the  defeat  of  Gen.  Grant,  at  Chicago, 
Mr.  Conkling  hid  himself  in  a pet ; and  when,  af- 
ter much  premonitory  trumpeting,  he  emerged 
from  his  ill-advised  seclusion,  he  made  a few 
speeches,  of  which  he  subsequently  boasted— as 
he  did  of  his  addresses  in  1876 — that  the  name 
of  the  Republican  candidate  for  the  Presidency 
could  not  be  found  in  them,  although  one  might 
search  for  it  with  a microscope.  When  the  Senate 
wras  agitated  over  the  Louisiana  election  matters, 
after  the  Presidential  election  of  1876,  Mr.  Conk- 
ling forsook  his  seat  and  took  no  part  in  the 
business  before  the  Senate.  When  Congress  was 
engaged  in  a wrestle  with  the  heresy  of  Green- 
backism,  Mr.  Conkling  made  no  sign  that  he  re- 
garded the  contest  with  even  a passing  interest. 
Except  in  matters  personal  to  himself,  he  has  stu- 
diously avoided  every  responsibility  of  the  high 
office  into  which  he  has  fought  his  way.  It  was 
indeed  fit,  that  such  a man  should,  at  the  last,  fly 
out  of  his  Senatorial  chair,  screaming  with  anger. 

The  voting  at  Albany,  as  June  wore  on,  rapidly 
degenerated  into  a dead-lock,  and  the  country 
looked  on  at  first  amazed,  interested,  then 
apathetic,  and  finally,  as  the  atmosphere  became 
charged  with  the  most  vicious  political  corruption, 
disgusted.  Bribery  showed  its  hideous  head.  A 


588 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


professional  lobbyist,  Senator  Sessions,  gave 
% 2,000  for  a vote  to  Assemblyman  Bradley,  a 
Conkling  supporter,  who  was  undoubtedly  suffi- 
cient of  a rascal  to  accept  it.  At  Mr.  Conkling’s 
direction,  Vice-President  Arthur  personally 
carried  on  such  a campaign  of  dirty  lobbying  as 
had  never  been  seen  before  in  the  career  of  any 
public  man  of  so  high  rank.  The  days  passed 
rapidly.  There  was  nothing  creditable,  nothing 
even  honest  that  came  with  them.  The  influence 
of  the  disgraceful  struggle  was  felt  as  most 
corrupting  all  over  the  country.  The  spectacle 
of  loose  political  morality,  of  looser  political  faith, 
of  the  basest  passions  used  as  factors  in  a fight 
to  elect  United  States  Senators,  was  an  unpar- 
alleled one  in  the  history  of  the  Republican  party 
and  the  United  States.  For  it  Mr.  Conkling 
was  largely  responsible.  For  when  he  found 
that  he  was  beaten  irrevocably,  it  was  in  his 
power  to  have  saved  the  nation  a lasting  dis- 
grace, and  ended  the  dispute  that  caused  it,  by 
withdrawing  his  name.  By  his  direction  the 
fight  went  on.  The  lower  classes  of  political 
beats  and  fanatics  were  infected  with  the  degene- 
racy of  the  fight.  For  many  of  that  class  gathered 
at  Albany  to  do  Mr.  Conkling’s  bidding.  June 
wore  away,  and  still  Mr.  Conkling  forced  the 
fighting.  July  came,  still  the  fight  went  on.  Mr. 
Conkling  said  no  word,  made  no  sign  that  would 
have  ended  what  had  become  a disgrace  to  New 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


539 


York,  and  an  infamous  stain  on  Mr.  Conkling’s 
career.  His  ringing  words  to  J.  H.  Griswold,  in 
1871:  “Every  one  knows  that  the  fittest  step 
toward  remedy  and  reform  is  to  nominate  the  best 
men  in  the  Republican  party,  and  elect  them  to 
the  Legislature  and  to  the  executive  offices  of  the 
State ; and  yet  men  stand  talking  about  Federal 
patronage,  and  differences  among  leaders,  and 
personal  feelings  between  individuals  and  the  like. 
What  have  such  things  to  do  with  the  duty  of  this 
hour?  What  do  the  people  care  about  them? 
What  should  they  care  ? Of  what  public  conse- 
quence are  the  personal  aims  and  objects  and 
mishaps  of  individuals  ?”  had  been  utterly  forgotten. 
It  was  war  to  the  knife  and  knife  to  the  hilt.  On 
July  1 st  the  relations  of  the  factions  had  become 
strained  to  the  last  degree.  And  they  so  con- 
tinued until  the  month  was  three  weeks  gone. 
Mr.  Conkling  was  permanently  retired  from 
political  life — at  least  for  some  time  by  the  elec- 
tion of  Eldridge  G.  Lapham  to  succeed  him.  Mr. 
Warner  Miller  was  elected  to  succeed  Mr.  Platt; 
and  the  long,  brutal,  disgraceful  struggle  came  to 
an  end,  leaving  a stain  of  infamy  on  those  who 
precipitated  it. 


590 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  oF 


CHAPTER  XXXVIII. 

A TIME  OF  TRIAL. 

SATURDAY,  July  2d,  was  as  fair  a day  as 
usually  comes  with  an  American  summer. 
Though  the  heat  was  somewhat  noticeable 
in  Washington,  as  in  most  cities,  and  the  sun 
that  gilded  the  head  of  Columbia  on  the  dome 
of  the  Capitol,  and  stole  softly  into  the  awakening 
streets,  was  not  unkindly  in  its  fervor.  At  the 
White  House  that  morning  the  President  was 
early  astir.  He  had  many  matters  that  needed 
attention  before  he  left  the  city,  which  he  intended 
to  do  on  an  early  train.  His  son  Harry,  who  is 
quite  a young  athlete,  came  into  his  father’s  room 
and  deftly  turned  a hand-spring  across  the  bed. 

“ Don’t  you  wish  you  could  do  that  ?”  asked  the 
boy. 

“Well,  I think  I can,”  replied  the  President,  and 
with  a moment’s  consideration  he  was  on  his 
hands  and  over  the  bed,  in  a fashion  almost  as 
neat  as  that  of  his  son. 

At  breakfast,  the  chat  turned  on  the  approach- 
ing trip  to  New  England,  that  the  President  had 
planned  with  such  pleasure.  He  was  going  to 
attend  the  commencement  exercises  of  his  Alma 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


59' 


Mater,  Williams  College,  Williamstown,  Massa- 
chusetts. There  had  been  arranged,  in  connection 
with  this  visit,  a somewhat  extended  trip  through 
Vermont,  New  Hampshire  and  Massachusetts,  in 
which  he  was  to  be  accompanied  by  Mrs.  Garfield 
and  two  or  three  of  his  children,  several  members 
of  the  Cabinet,  with  their  wives,  and  other  par- 
ticular friends.  All  the  arrangements  had  been 
carefully  completed,  and  every  one  of  the  party 
was  anticipating  a delightful  ten  days’  jaunt. 
Those  who  were  to  start  from  Washington 
were  to  take  a special  car  attached  to  the  limited 
express  train  for  New  York  at  9.30  o’clock  that 
Saturday  morning.  They  were  to  be  joined  at 
New  York  by  Mrs.  Garfield  and  two  or  three 
others  of  the  President’s  family,  who  had  been  so- 
journing at  Long  Branch,  where  Mrs.  Garfield 
had  gone  to  recover  from  a severe  attack  of  ma- 
larial fever.  The  President  had  looked  forward 
to  the  trip  with  eagerness  and  delight,  and  in  view 
of  it  had  been  in  the  best  of  spirits  since  his  return 
from  Long  Branch.  ^ 

Breakfast  was  over.  Secretary  Blaine  had  come 
to  accompany  the  President  to  the  station.  A few 
last  words  to  Private  Secretary  Brown,  a kiss  to 
Harry,  and  the  carriage,  driven  by  coachman 
George,  started  rapidly  along  the  magnificent 
avenue  leading  to  the  station  of  the  Baltimore  and 
Potomac  Railroad,  at  Sixth  and  B Streets.  The 
President  was  in  the  best  of  humor,  and  chatted 


592 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


with  many  a light-hearted  laugh.  The  few  pedes- 
trians  who  paid  sufficient  attention  to  the  passing 
carriage  to  recognize  the  occupants,  smilingly  lifted 
their  hats  to  the  Executive.  The  station  was  soon 
reached  and  the  carriage  halted  at  the  B Street 
entrance.  This  admits  to  the  ladies’  room,  a pleas- 
ant, carpeted  apartment,  furnished  with  fixed 
wooden  settees,  so  arranged  as  to  leave  a broad 
passage-way  about  twenty  feet  long,  directly  from 
the  outer  door  to  the  opposite  side  of  the  room. 
Two  doors  opened  from  the  side  of  the  room 
opposite  the  outer  door  into  the  gentlemen’s 
waiting-room,  which  is  a large  room.  It  is  neces- 
sary to  pass  around  the  ends  of  benches,  either  to 
the  right  or  left,  to  reach  one  of  these  doors.  By 
entering  the  general  waiting-room  and  passing 
directly  across  it,  you  reach  the  guarded  gates 
which  lead  to  the  train.  As  the  carriage  drove 
up  to  the  door,  the  President  said  to  Officer 
Kearney,  who  was  on  duty  there: 

“ How  much  time  have  I ?” 

“ Abo^ten  minutes,  sir,”  was  the  reply,  where- 
upon the  President  and  Secretary  Blaine  con- 
tinued their  earnest  conversation.  After  about 
five  minutes  they  were  warned  that  they  must  be 
moving.  They  alighted  from  the  carriage  and 
passed  quietly  through  the  door  into  the  ladies’ 
room. 

There  was  no  crowd  about.  There  were  few 
ladies  in  the  room,  and  but  a few  people  in  the 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


593 


general  waiting-room  beyond.  There  was  nothing 
stirring,  nothing  of  note,  nothing  to  attract  atten- 
tion. Of  the  people  about,  no  one  was  waiting  for 
anything  more  than  usually  occurs  on  a sunny 
morning  at  a railway  station.  Most  of  those  who 
were  to  take  the  train  were  already  on  board.  Of 
those  in  the  room  beside  the  railroad  officials,  there 
was  a slender,  light-complexioned  man,  about  forty 
years  of  age,  who  walked  up  and  down  rather 
nervously,  occasionally  glancing  out  of  the  door 
in  a vacant  fashion,  as  if  his  mind  was  bent  upon 
some  strangely  fascinating  picture.  This  man 
bore  the  rather  euphonious  name  of  Charles  Jules 
Guiteau,  and  though  he  had  been  noticed  by  the 
railroad  employes,  still  his  was  not  a face  or  figure 
that  would  have  attracted  attention  in  a crowd. 
And  no  one  paid  any  attention  to  him  or  his  move- 
ments. 

He  walked  up  and  down  the  room  without 
ceasing,  as  the  slow  minutes  passed  away,  moving 
the  length  of  the  settees  with  short  irregular  steps. 
He  had  just  reached  the  end  of  the  room  as  the 
President  entered  arm  in  arm  with  his  Secretary. 
Guiteau  turned  about,  set  his  teeth,  and  quietly  in- 
serted his  hand  within  his  pocket.  The  President 
passed  beyond  him,  he  advanced  one  step  in  the 
same  direction,  drew  a heavy  revolver  from  his 
pocket,  pointed  it  steadily  and  fired  deliberately 
at  the  man  he  had  come  to  murder. 

The  President  made  no  sign  he  was  hurt,  but 


594 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


turned  with  gentle,  yet  surprised  look  to  see 
whence  came  the  murderous  bullet.  Secretary 
Blaine  sprang  to  one  side,  Guiteau  who  stood  on 
his  right  re-cocked  his  revolver  and  with  the  de- 
liberation  of  death  fired  at  the  President  again. 
The  President  fell  to  the  floor,  the  blood  spurting 
profusely  from  a jagged  wound  in  his  side.  Gui- 
teau fled.  The  pistol  was  dropped  and  the  smoke 
of  the  powder  drifted  innocently  upward  to  the 
ceiling. 

Before  almost  the  echo  of  the  report  had  found 
its  way  out  to  the  open  air,  the  President  was 
surrounded.  A terrible  deed  had  been  committed. 
Assassination  for  the  second  time  had  stricken 
the  Chief  Magistrate.  For  an  instant  those  near- 
est to  him  could  not  believe  their  senses.  Then 
ensued  a moment  of  terrible  agony  and  confusion. 
Secretary  Blaine  sprang  after  the  assassin,  who, 
finding  his  way  barred  in  one  direction,  turned  in 
another  only  to  run  into  the  arms  of  the  law. 
Seeing  he  was  caught,  Mr.  Blaine  turned  again  to 
the  wounded  man.  Mrs.  Sarah  E.  V.  White,  who 
had  charge  of  the  ladies’  waiting-room  ran  to  the 
President  as  he  fell,  knelt  down  and  gently  took 
his  head  in  her  lap.  The  shock  of  the  bullet  had 
been  very  great.  He  was  very  pale.  He  neither 
stirred  nor  spoke.  In  a minute  vomiting  began, 
all  color  faded  from  his  face  and  he  leaned  heavily 
on  those  who  were  supporting  him. 

By  this  time  had  gathered  about  the  wounded 


The  Assassination. 


ft 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


595 


man  a horror-stricken  crowd.  Secretary  Windom, 
Secretary  Hunt,  Postmaster-General  James  and 
others  of  the  party  that  had  met  to  accompany  the 
President  north,  were  all  in  and  out  of  the  room 
sending  hither  and  thither  messengers  and  mes- 
saofes  for  doctors.  The  President’s  own  carriage 
dashed  off  at  a gallop  to  the  White  House,  to  the 
astonishment  of  the  people  on  the  avenue  who 
had  not  yet  learned  the  direful  news.  A local 
physician  was  first  to  arrive  of  those  summoned. 
He  came  in  breathless,  in  response  to  the  awful 
summons,  just  as  a mattress  was  brought  on  which 
to  lay  the  wounded  man.  The  room  being  un- 
comfortably crowded  with  men — in  whose  eyes 
stood  tears,  gathered  in  the  first  pause  of  their 
terror  to  offer  any,  every  aid  in  their  power — it  was 
decided  to  remove  the  President  to  the  room  above. 

Hardly  had  the  mattress  been  laid  upon  the 
floor,  when  the  wounded  man,  ever  thoughtful  of 
those  nearest  to  him,  ever  forgetful  of  self,  even 
while  his  life  blood  was  oozing  from  him,  turned  to 
his  friend  and  said: 

“ Rockwell,  I want  you  to  send  a message  to 
‘ Crete  ’ ” (the  pet  name  used  for  his  wife,  Lucretia) . 
“Tell  her  I am  seriously  hurt,  how  seriously  I can- 
not yet  say.  I am  myself,  and  hope  she  will  come 
to  me  soon.  I send  my  love  to  her.” 

Was  there  ever  anything  more  ineffably  tender, 
more  wonderfully  gentle  than  this  ? History  does 
not  contain  a similat  tenderness  in  all  its  many 


59^ 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


thousand  pages  ! Stricken  down  by  the  assassin’s 
bullet,  in  the  most  powerful  and  prosperous  mo- 
ment his  country  had  known  for  half  a century, 
uncertain  whether  he  was  then  and  there  to  re- 
nounce the  crown  he  had  so  lately  won,  so  proudly 
worn  ; his  whole  heart  was  turned  to  her,  who  for 
years  had  been  his  helpmate  and  his  life,  and  he 
sent  his  love  to  her ! As  his  messenger  wrote 
down  that  immortal  sentence,  tears  fell  fast  and 
free  from  those  around  who  knew  now,  if  they  had 
never  known  before,  how  noble  a man  was  the 
President — how  true,  how  brave,  how  good. 

During  the  dictation  of  the  dispatch,  Dr.  Bliss, 
who  had  come  from  the  White  House,  and  several 
other  physicians  arrived.  A minute’s  inspection  of 
the  wound  by  Dr.  Bliss,  an  experimental  prob- 
ing with  his  finger,  demonstrated  that  the  President 
was  terribly  wounded.  It  was  imperative  he 
should  be  removed  to  the  White  House,  where  he 
could  receive  every  attention  his  case  demanded. 
An  ambulance  was  speedily  summoned.  The 
President  was  brought  down-stairs  as  gently  as 
loving  hands  could  carry  him,  and  laid  within  it 
The  doctors  got  in,  and  the  horses  started  off  at 
a dead  run  for  the  Executive  Mansion,  which  was 
reached  in  less  than  ten  minutes.  The  members 
of  the  Cabinet  and  immediate  associates  of  the 
President  who  were  at  the  station  had  already 
reached  the  White  House.  As  the  President 
was  lifted  out  of  the  ambulance,  the  pallor  of 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


597 


death  stamped  upon  his  face,  he  glanced  upward 
to  the  windows ; there  were  his  friends,  waiting, 
sadly,  silently,  fearing  their  beloved  friend  would 
be  borne  home  to  them  dead.  As  he  recognized 
them,  he  raised  his  right  hand,  and  with  a smile, 
which  those  who  saw  it  will  never  forget,  gave  the 
military  salute,  as  if  he  would  say  to  them,  “Long 
live  the  Republic.”  He  was  carried  swiftly  and 
gently  to  his  own  bed  in  an  upper  chamber  at 
the  south-east  corner  of  the  Executive  Mansion. 

Close  upon  his  arrival,  followed  some  friends,  who 
hurried  to  the  White  House  with  blanched  faces 
and  achinor  hearts,  fearing-  the  worst.  Soon  after- 
ward  Mrs.  Hunt,  Mrs.  James  and  Mrs.  Windom 
were  joined  by  Mrs.  Blaine  and  Mrs.  W.  T.  Sher- 
man. Other  friends  of  Mrs.  Garfield  quickly  ar- 
rived, but  were  denied  admittance,  and  the  pon- 
derous gates  which  lead  to  the  Executive  Mansion 
were  closed,  and  armed  military  sentinels,  as  if 
by  some  fearful  magic,  silently  took  their  places 
about  the  house  and  grounds.  These  troops  were 
ordered  from  the  garrison  at  the  Washington 
Arsenal  in  order  to  relieve  the  regular  police, 
whose  services  were  needed  in  the  city,  where  the 
crowds  were  rapidly  increasing,  angry  with  excite- 
ment. There  was  only  one  company  of  soldiers, 
but  the  glance  of  their  bayonets  flashing  in  the 
sunlight,  as  they  walked  with  measured  tread  the 
several  paths  to  which  they  were  assigned,  seemed 
portentous  of  an  awful  fate  hanging  over  the  Re- 


59$ 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


public,  and  recalled  the  last  hours  of  President 
Lincoln,  when  the  same  astonishment  and  horror 
were  reflected  on  the  faces  of  the  people  who 
surged  about  the  Executive  Mansion,  and  watched 
similar  silent  sentries  pacing  under  its  leafy  trees. 

In  the  room  above  lay  the  President,  surrounded 
by  the  most  eminent  physicians  in  Washington. 
He  at  first  complained  of  pain  in  his  feet  more 
than  in  his  arm  or  body,  and  at  his  own 
request  his  feet  were  undressed  and  rubbed. 
The  doctors  cut  away  his  clothing  to  get  at  his 
wounds.  The  shot  in  the  shoulder  had  passed 
around  the  bone  without  breaking  it.  The  bullet 
which  entered  the  back  over  the  hips  did  not  pass 
through  the  body,  and,  although  the  doctor  probed 
the  wound  with  his  finger,  he  could  not  make  out, 
with  any  certainty,  what  direction  the  ball  had 
taken,  nor  where  it  was  lodged.  The  nervous 
prostration,  seemingly,  was  passing  away,  and  the 
President  assumed  his  usual  composed  manner, 
greeting  members  of  the  Cabinet,  and  other 
intimate  friends  who  called,  with  a warm  pres- 
sure of  the  hand,  and  with  cheerful  words.  This 
cheeriness  excited  the  strongest  hopes  of  the 
surgeons  that  the  ball  had  not  touched  any  vital 
part,  and  that  when  he  had  gained  sufficient 
strength  and  composure  an  effort  might  be  made 
to  find  the  ball.  Directions  were  given  that  he 
should  see  as  few  persons  as  possible,  and  that  he 
should  be  kept  from  conversation,  or  naking  any 


By  the  Bedside  of  the  Suffering  President. 


’ y 1 

: 


,-ir'  . *; 


.-o' 


i 


j 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


599 


particular  effort  whatever.  After  consultation,  it 
was  determined  by  the  surgeons  that  at  three 
o’clock,  if  his  condition  would  permit,  they  would 
probe  for  the  ball.  When  this  hour  arrived  it 
was  found  that  he  was  not  in  condition  to  undergo 
the  operation,  and  it  was  again  postponed. 

At  no  time,  however,  did  the  spirits  and  courage 
of  the  wounded  man  fail  him.  His  genial  good- 
nature,  his  gentle  disposition  never  forsook  him, 
even  in  his  agony.  Turning  to  his  Secretary, 
about  half-past  two  in  the  afternoon,  he  said : 

“ Blaine,  what  motive  do  you  think  that  man 
could  have  had  in  trying  to  assassinate  me?” 

“ Indeed  I do  not  know,  Mr.  President.  He 
says  he  had  no  motive.  He  must  be  insane.” 

“ I suppose,”  came  back  the  answer  with  a smile, 
“ he  thought  it  would  be  a glorious  thing  to  be  a 
pirate  king.” 

A little  later,  James,  his  own  son,  sat  sobbing  by 
the  bed.  His  father  turned  to  him,  and  said : 

“ Don’t  be  alarmed,  Jimmy,  the  upper  story  is 
all  right;  it  is  only  the  hull  that  is  a little  damaged.” 

To  Dr.  Bliss,  who  had  been  requested  to  take 
charge  by  the  President,  he  was  at  times  quite 
jocular,  the  vein  of  conversation  being  of  a light 
character,  and  keyed  so  as  to  encourage  his 
friends  and  attendants.  He  informed  the  Doctor 
that  he  desired  to  be  kept  accurately  posted  as  to 
his  exact  condition.  “ Conceal  nothing  from  me, 
Doctor ; for  remember,  I am  not  afraid  to  die.” 


6oo 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


Toward  four  o’clock,  when  evidence  of  internal 
hemorrhage  became  unmistakable,  and  all  the 
indications  seemed  to  point  to  death,  the  President 
spoke  again : 

“ Doctor,  what  are  my  prospects  ? Are  they 
bad,  Doctor?  Don’t  be  afraid;  tell  me  frankly 
I am  ready  for  the  worst.” 

“Mr.  President,”  returned  the  physician,  ‘‘your 
condition  is  extremely  critical.  I do  not  think 
you  can  live  many  hours.” 

“ God’s  will  be  done,  Doctor ; Pm  ready  to  go  if 
my  time  has  come,”  firmly  answered  the  sick  man. 

Thenceforth  his  anxiety  for  the  arrival  of  his 
wife  increased  with  every  hour.  She  was  at  Long 
Branch,  for  her  health.  On  that  eventful  morning, 
General  Swaim  announced  to  her,  as  gently  as  he 
could,  that  the  President  had  been  shot.  She  im- 
mediately began  preparations  for  her  departure 
for  Washington.  Before  she  started,  General 
Swaim  received  the  following  dispatch: 

“Executive  Mansion,  Washington,  D.  C.,  July  2d,  1881. 
“ General  Swaim,  Elberon,  New  Jersey  : 

“We  have  the  President  safely  and  comfortably  settled  in  his 
room  at  the  Executive  Mansion.  His  pulse  is  strong  and 
nearly  normal.  So  far  as  I can  detect  from  what  the  surgeons 
say,  and  from  his  general  condition,  I feel  very  hopeful. 
Come  on  as  soon  as  you  Can  get  special.  Advise  me  of  the 
movements  of  your  train,  and  when  you  can  be  expected. 
As  the  President  said,  on  a similar  occasion,  sixteen  years 
ago,  ‘God  reigns,  and  the  government  at  Washington  still 
lives.’  “A.  F.  ROCKWELL.’’ 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD.  qq  j 

At  12.45  P-  M.  the  special  train  furnished  by 
the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  was  ready,  and  sped 
away  to  Washington,  at  sixty  miles  an  hour.  A 
little  latter,  Colonel  Rockwell  told  the  President 
Mrs.  Garfield  had  started,  when  he  replied,  with 
evident  feeling,  “ God  bless  the  little  woman  ! I 
hope  the  shock  won’t  break  her  down.”  Impa- 
tiently her  arrival  was  awaited  through  the  long 
hours  of  that  awful  afternoon.  Her  arrival  was 
delayed  somewhat  by  an  accident  to  the  engine, 
and  it  was  not  until  almost  seven  o’clock  that  the 
sound  of  carriage  wheels  was  heard  upon  the 
gravel  driveway.  “That's  my  wife,”  said  the  Presi- 
dent, and  his  face  brightened  with  a cheery  smile. 

Mrs.  Garfield  was  so  fatigued  by  her  hasty  trip, 
taken  suddenly  and  in  such  a state  of  health,  that 
she  grew  faint,  and  felt  herself  obliged  to  go  to 
the  dining-room  below  for  some  refreshment.  She 
went  down-stairs,  accompanied  by  Colonel  Rock^ 
well.  They  had  scarcely  seated  themselves  at  the 
table,  when  an  attendant  rushed  in  and  told  them 
the  President  was  sinking  fast,  and  that  they  should 
at  once  hurry  to  his  bedside.  He  had  kept  him- 
self up  largely  by  will-power,  and  now  that  the 
suspense  and  necessity  were  over,  had  shown 
signs  of  a physical  collapse.  From  this  moment 
he  failed  fast,  his  voice  sinking  to  a whisper,  and 
his  whole  aspect  being  that  of  a dying  man.  The 
persons  present  in  the  room,  except  the  family 
and  personal  attendants,  retired,  in  order  to  allow 


602 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


the  family  to  meet  around  the  bedside  alone 
They  remained  together  about  fifteen  minutes — 
fifteen  minutes  that  will  live  forever  in  their  memo* 
ries ; fifteen  awful  minutes,  when  death  seemed  to 
hold  all  under  the  spell  of  his  terrible  presence, 
as  he  sat  in  patient  earnestness  at  the  President’s 
side  ; between  them  and  him.  At  the  end  of  that 
time  the  doctors  were  again  admitted  to  the  room. 
They  found  the  President  perfectly  conscious,  but 
much  weaker,  his  pulse  being  146.  From  this 
time  he  seemed  to  sink  slowly,  as  the  minutes 
were  told  off  by  the  solemn  clock,  never  to  come 
again.  How  slow  they  seemed  to  go  to  the  agon- 
ized, yet  silent  watchers  in  that  sick  room ! They 
would  look  at  the  clock ; they  would  pass  in  re- 
view all  the  eventful  hours  of  that  long  horror-laden 
day,  all  the  eventful  days  in  the  career  of  the  man 
before  them ; they  would  think  over  and  over  the 
little  kindnesses  of  his  life,  and  glance  again  at  the 
clock,  to  see  that  only  a minute  had  been  added  to 
eternity!  Was  he  to  die?  Was  he  to  leave  them 
in  the  flower  of  his  manhood,  in  the  hour  of  his 
country’s  pride,  at  the  height  of  his  well-won 
honor?  They  knew  not,  and  shuddered! 

This  was  the  sad  scene  within  the  White  House 
walls.  Outside  and  beyond,  the  world  was  in  a 
fever.  Hardly  had  the  President  fallen  by  the 
assassin’s  bullet  before  the  telegraph  had  winged 
the  news  to  all  parts  of  the  land.  As  the  dispatch 
flashed  along,  “ The  President  has  been  shot,  the 


JAMES  A,  GARFIELD. 


603 


assassin  arrested,”  those  who  heard  it  could  not 
believe  the  words.  The  thing  was  too  terrible  to 
be  true,  on  such  short  notice.  By  and  by  it  came 
to  be  believed,  and  yet  not  comprehended.  That 
the  good  and  able  President  had  been,  on  this 
bright,  sunny  second  of  July,  shot  down  in  the 
nation’s  capital — assassinated!  No,  no;  it  could 
not  be  true. 

Rapidly  the  terror  spread,  as  the  full  measure 
of  the  deed  came  to  be  comprehended.  In  every 
city,  in  every  town,  in  every  village  of  the  United 
States  groups  formed  about  the  telegraph  and 
newspaper  offices  and  other  centres  of  informa- 
tion, and  discussed  in  excited  fashion  the  terrible 
news.  In  the  great  cities  the  telegraph  carried  it 
to  all  the  principal  hotels,  and  from  these  common 
centres  of  information,  it  radiated  to  the  smallest 
aide  streets  in  the  crowded  tenement-house  dis- 
tricts. Before  noon  there  was  scarcely  a man, 
woman  or  child  who  did  not  know  that  the  Chief 
Magistrate  had  been  shot,  and  probably  killed. 
Groups  formed  on  the  sidewalk,  in  hotels,  clubs, 
parks  ; wherever  there  was  opportunity  for  men  to 
gather  together,  they  assembled  in  crowds,  and 
talked  over  the  tragedy  which  had  been  enacted 
at  the  capital  of  the  nation.  But  little  of  the  de- 
tails of  the  crime  were  known  at  this  time,  and 
speculation  had  full  swing,  not  only  in  debating 
upon  the  probable  results  of  the  attack  on  the  Pre- 
sident, but  in  seeking  some  plausible  motive  for 


604 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


the  act  of  the  assassin.  If  President  Garfield 
should  die,  Vice-President  Arthur  would  become 
the  Executive  of  the  nation ; and  the  effect  of  his 
accession  to  the  power  and  patronage  of  the  Ex- 
ecutive office  was  the  subject  of  grave  discussion 
among  business  men  of  the  community,  many  of 
whom  were  alarmed  at  the  prospect  of  President 
Garfield’s  death.  The  only  confidence  displayed 
was  the  belief  in  the  innate  strength  of  our  popu- 
lar institutions ; and  men  went  about  their  busi- 
ness with  sad  faces,  but  still  hopeful  that  the  worst 
to  be  feared  might  not  be  realized. 

After  1 1 o’clock  the  news  came  slightly  more 
in  detail ; and,  with  the  absolute  knowledge  that  the 
President  was  still  living,  and  that  Dr.  Bliss  gave 
great  hopes  of  his  recovery,  men  breathed  more 
freely ; but  still  there  was  a sad  and  subdued  look 
upon  the  faces  of  all  as  they  passed  on  the  street 
or  met  in  the  public  places.  The  newspapers 
everywhere  were  receiving  dispatches  every  few 
minutes,  and,  as  fast  as  they  came,  they  were 
promptly  bulletined.  These  bulletin  boards  were 
the  centres  of  attraction,  and  the  sidewalks  and 
streets  in  front  of  them  were  soon  crowded  with 
men,  who  stood  in  the  broiling  sun  and  forgot 
the  heat  in  their  intense  eagerness  for  the  latest 
scrap  of  information.  Between  eleven  and  noon, 
the  crowds  became  so  great  that  traffic  was  im- 
peded, and  the  efforts  of  the  police  to  keep  clear 
the  passageways  gradually  grew  less  and  less 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


605 


successful.  These  men  were  very  quiet  and  or- 
derly, and  talked  in  low  tones  of  the  tragedy. 
The  excitement  was  too  deep  to  display  itself  in 
the  ordinary  noisy  way,  and  the  sadness  of  the 
people  too  genuine  to  expend  itself  in  loud  talk. 
There  were  men  of  all  shades  of  political  opinion 
in  every  group,  but  they  had  but  one  sentiment  in 
common  about  the  great  crime  which  had  been 
committed ; and  the  invectives  heaped  upon  the 
murderer  were  bitter  and  terrible. 

At  noon  the  “extras”  appeared,  and  the  de- 
mand for  them  was  so  great  as  to  be  beyond  the 
power  of  the  press  to  supply.  The  information 
given  in  these  early  dispatches  was  very  brief,  but 
it  was  of  a reassuring-  nature.  The  President  was 
conscious,  the  doctor  thought  he  might  live,  while 
the  assassin  was  in  jail  under  strong  guard.  The 
hopes  held  forth  by  this  news  were  eagerly  grasped 
at  by  the  excited  multitude,  and  all  began  to  feel 
somewhat  reassured.  Dispatches  continued  to  be 
received  every  few  minutes,  and  the  news  which 
they  contained  was  posted  on  the  bulletins  and 
issued  in  extras  during  the  entire  afternoon.  Up 
to  three  o’clock  they  were  favorable  to  the  re- 
covery of  the  President.  The  feeling  began  to 
prevail  that,  after  all,  it  might  yet  be  well,  and  peo- 
ple began  to  congratulate  themselves  on  the  safety 
of  the  Chief  Magistrate,  now  their  idol. 

This  feeling  of  security,  however,  was  short- 
lived. At  three  o’clock  the  information  was 


6o6 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


flashed  across  the  wires  that  hemorrhage  had  set 
in,  and  that  the  President  was  sinking  slowly,  but 
surely.  At  the  same  time  a dispatch  was  posted, 
announcing  “ President  Garfield  has  just  died.” 
This  heart-piercing  intelligence  spread  rapidly,  and 
its  effect  was  to  casta  gloom  over  the  entire  country. 
In  some  places  itwasknown  that  this  announcement 
was  false,  but  it  was  felt  to  be  absolutely  certain  that 
the  President  could  not  live,  and  the  crowds  in  the 
streets  waited  silently  and  mournfully  for  the  dis- 
patch which  should  confirm  their  fears  and  an- 
nounce that  all  was  over.  Policemen  were  little 
needed  to  keep  the  crowd  in  order.  It  was  com- 
posed of  all  classes  of  citizens,  from  the  merchant 
prince  to  the  common  laborer.  There  were  rough- 
looking men,  too,  standing  in  the  sun  side  by  side 
with  the  wealthiest  and  most  refined.  There  were 
men  who,  in  ordinary  times  and  in  an  ordinary 
crowd,  would  be  regarded  as  dangerous  compan- 
ions, but  they  were  not  dangerous  now,  and  they 
gave  the  police  no  trouble.  They  were  watching, 
like  their  more  respected  fellow-citizens,  at  the 
death-bed  of  the  President  of  their  country,  and 
from  many  an  eye,  which  for  years  had  been  un- 
moistened by  emotion,  were  roughly  wiped  the 
tears  as  the  telegrams  stated  the  President  to  be 
sinking — sinking — sinking ; that  the  doctors  had 
given  up  all  hope  of  saving  his  life ! The  faces 
of  the  men  were  sad  and  subdued.  They  spoke 
to  each  other  in  a half  breath.  The  scene  was 


JAMES  A GARFIELD. 


607 


one  which  impressed  itself  so  deeply  that  it  can 
never  be  forgotten.  There  was  pushing  and  edg- 
ing forward  to  get  better  views  of  the  bulletins, 
but  the  pushing  was  done  gently  and  quietly,  and 
there  was  none  of  the  fierce,  impatient  struggling 
which  usually  characterizes  street  crowds.  Had 
'the  men  been  actually  participating  in  the  funeral 
services  over  the  President,  or  one  of  their  own 
blood,  they  could  not  have  conducted  themselves 
with  more  propriety. 

At  last  darkness  fell ; the  expected  announcement 
of  the  President’s  death  had  not,  thank  God,  been 
made.  The  crowd  still  lingered  about  the  bulletin 
boards,  and  eagerly  read  the  dispatches.  Extras 
were  still  being  issued,  and  bought  by  the  expect- 
ant multitude  as  fast  as  the  presses  could  turn 
them  out.  The  dispatches  up  to  9 o’clock  were 
all  of  one  kind.  The  President  is  sinking,  they 
said,  and  there  is  no  hope  of  his  recovery.  They 
struck  upon  the  crowds  gathered  in  the  streets 
with  a mournful  effect  At  9 o’clock  it  was 
announced,  in  a telegram  from  Postmaster-General 
James,  that  the  sufferer  was  sleeping,  and  that  his 
pulse  was  not  so  high  as  it  had  been.  This  was 
at  least  a ray  of  sunshine  among  the  shadows, 
and  expressions  of  hope  that  he  might  yet  survive 
were  indulged  in,  although  few  really  believed 
that  there  was  any  chance  for  his  recovery.  In 
times  of  great  calamity  men  are  apt  to  build  hopes 
upon  very  slight  foundations,  and  the  dispatch  of 


6o8 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


the  Postmaster-General  was  hailed  with  heartfelt 
gladness.  It  was  speedily  followed  by  other  tele- 
grams  which  chilled  the  joy  to  silence,  and  re- 
stored the  aching  pain.  At  io  o’clock  the  notice 
was  again  posted  that  there  was  no  hope,  and  the 
crowds  in  the  street  settled  down  to  wait,  with 
mournful  patience,  for  the  announcement  which 
was  certain  to  come  sooner  or  later — certain  to 
come  sometime  during  a night  of  sorrow  and  sad  - 
ness such  as  they  had  never  passed  before. 

Now  announcements  were  made  with  less 
rapidity  than  in  the  earlier  hours  of  the  evening, 
but  the  people  still  waited  patiently,  conversing  in 
groups  on  the  possibilities  of  the  President’s 
recovery.  Expressions  of  sincere  sympathy  for 
the  sufferer,  and  maledictions  against  his  ruth- 
less assailant  escaped  from  all  lips.  Telegrams 
bearing  discouraging  tidings  from  the  White 
House  were  greeted  with  low,  deep  murmurs  of 
hopelessness. 

Just  before  1 1 P.  M.  was  posted  the  fact  that 
Mr.  Garfield  had  rallied,  and  could  converse 
freely  with  his  attendants,  on  reading  which 
the  crowds  gave  vent  to  such  expressions  as 
“Thank  God  for  that,”  “Good;  give  us  some  more 
like  that.”  “The  crisis  is  now  over,”  said  some, 
“ and  the  President  will  recover.”  And  yet  this 
was  said  more  because  they  wished  it  so  than  be- 
cause they  believed  it.  Still  they  lingered,  and  the 
same  scenes  that  had  so  distinguished  that  Satur- 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


609 


day  evening  from  all  other  evenings  in  their  lives, 
continued  into  the  early  hours  of  Sunday,  only  to 
diminishing  numbers  of  watchers,  for  one  by  one, 
sad  and  disheartened,  they  drifted  away,  until  the 
last  of  them  was  greeted  by  the  dawn  of  a cheer- 
less day  pushing  its  way  into  the  dolorous  streets. 


6io 


LIFE  AMD  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


CHAPTER  XXXIX. 


Hours  of  Suffering. 

THE  night  of  July  2d,  1881,  will  forever 
mark  an  era  in  the  history  of  the  Execu- 
tive Mansion — an  era  of  faint  hope  and 
fell  despair.  The  particulars  of  that  night  of  anx- 
ious watching  and  fearful  forebodings  will  probably 
never  be  written.  The  actors  in  the  scene  were 
too  busy  and  too  much  excited  by  their  fears  to 
remember  half  of  the  little  incidents  which  go  to 
make  up  the  story ; but  some  dim  picture  of  the 
terrible  life  drama  which  was  enacted  in  the  Presi- 
dent’s chamber,  while  the  whole  world  was  await- 
ing with  breathless  anxiety  its  culmination,  may 
be  drawn  at  this  time,  while  the  actors  of  it  still 
hold  its  prominent  features  fresh  in  their  memory. 

The  symptoms  of  death,  which  had  seemed  so 
sure,  so  evident  during'  the  long  reaches  of  the 
afternoon  and  the  early  hours  of  evening,  grew 
fainter  by  7.40.  Shortly  after,  the  patient  slept 
naturally  for  half  an  hour.  When  he  awoke,  he 
said  to  Mrs.  James,  the  wife  of  the  Postmaster- 
General,  whose  hand  he  was  holding : “ Do  you 

know  where  Mrs.  Garfield  is  now?” 

“Oh,  yes,”  Mrs.  James  answered,  “she  is  close 
by,  watching  and  praying  for  her  husband.” 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


6l  I 

Then  he  looked  up  to  the  lady  with  an  anxious 
face  : “ I want  her  to  go  to  bed.  Will  you  tell  her 
that  I say  if  she  will  undress  and  go  to  bed,  I will 
turn  right  over,  and  I feel  sure  that  when  I know 
she  is  in  bed,  I can  go  to  sleep  and  sleep  all  night? 
Tell  her,”  he  exclaimed,  with  sudden  energy,  “ that 
I will  sleep  all  night,  if  she  will  only  do  what  I ask.” 

Mrs.  James  conveyed  the  message  to  Mrs.  Gar- 
held,  who  said  at  once : “ Go  back  and  tell  him 
that  I am  undressing.” 

She  went  back  with  the  answer,  the  President 
turned  over  on  his  right  side  and  dropped  into  a 
quiet  sleep  almost  instantly. 

He  rallied  a little  about  9.20.  Feeling  more 
like  himself,  he  said  to  Dr.  Bliss:  “Doctor,  what 
are  the  indications  ?” 

Dr.  Bliss  replied : “ There  is  a chance  of  re- 

covery.” 

“Well,  then,”  responded  the  President,  cheer- 
fully, “ we  will  take  that  chance.” 

At  10.20  the  symptoms  were  more  favorable, 
and  afforded  a ground  for  hope.  The  temper- 
ature was  normal  and  the  pulse  had  fallen  four 
beats  in  the  hour.  The  change  was  certainly 
marked  and  gratifying.  At  1 1 P.  M.  the  symptoms 
were  still  favorable,  and  when  midnight  came,  the 
sufferer  was  in  a deep  and  restful  sleep. 

About  the  White  House  and  all  around  the 
White  J louse  grounds  there  was  no  sleep.  There 
watched  the  people , for  the  heart  of  the  Nation  was 


5!  2 LIFE  and  public  career  of 

with  its  President.  That  morning  none  of  them 
knew  just  how  they  had  heard  the  news.  They 
could  not  trace  the  source  of  the  rumor.  It  came 
in  subdued  whispers.  It  seemed  to  come  from 
everywhere,  and  spread  with  the  morning  breeze. 
With  a wild  rush,  they  had  followed  the  ambulance 
that  bore  the  wounded  man  to  the  Executive  Man- 
sion, only  to  be  halted  at  the  gates.  This  was  their 
place,  and  this  position  they  never  left  or  aban- 
doned for  days  and  nights,  through  storm  and  sun. 
The  people  could  not  give  up  their  loved  Presi- 
dent. So  they  stood  guard  over  him,  without 
noise,  without  commotion,  but  faithfully,  silently, 
holding  fast  to  the  palings  of  the  iron  fence,  as  if 
they  would  with  their  own  hands  keep  back  Death. 
Hour  after  hour  they  waited  in  the  hot  sun  for  news. 
They  were  not  content  with  the  brief  official  bul- 
letins, but  importuned  every  one  who  came  from 
the  White  House.  They  begged  for  fuller  in- 
formation. “ What  do  they  think  the  prospect  is  ?” 
“What  is  said  in  conversation  among  those  near 
the  President?”  “Do  they  look  discouraged?” 
These,  and  a multitude  of  similar  questions  were 
eagerly  asked.  Cabinet  officers,  foreign  ministers, 
high  officials,  physicians  and  surgeons,  and  persons 
who  held  cards  of  admission  were  going  and  coming 
constantly.  All  were  spoken  to,  all  were  besought 
for  one  morsel  of  good  tidings.  But  the  utmost 
quiet  prevailed.  The  faithful  people  moved  and 
spoke  as  in  the  shadow  of  a great  calamity  and 
in  presence  of  an  awful  tragedy.  There  was 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


61 3 


no  louder  noise  than  the  playing  of  the  foun- 
tains. And  even  this  was  stilled  at  last,  as  the  sun 
sank  with  the  color  of  blood  across  its  face.  Yet 
the  people  waited  unmoved.  Night  came  calm 
and  still.  And  yet  no  one  went  away  from  the 
gates.  The  people  were  still  with  their  President. 

Sunday  dawned,  cloudless  and  fair  to  see. 
During  the  day,  which  repeated  many  of  the  fea- 
tures of  the  day  before,  better  arrangements  were 
made  concerning  the  management  of  the  case, 
and  the  recovery  from  the  shock  permitted  more 
attention  to  be  paid  to  details. 

The  arrangements  which  secluded  the  President 
from  noise  or  disturbance  of  any  kind,  were  very 
complete.  Only  privileged  visitors  were  allowed 
to  go  up-stairs  at  all.  These  were  received  in  the 
private  secretary’s  room,  made  memorable  by  the 
fact  that  the  emancipation  proclamation  was  signed 
therein.  It  opens  by  a door-way  to  the  left  into  a 
room  in  the  south-east  corner  of  the  building,  oc- 
cupied by  the  executive  clerks.  Here  the  bulle- 
tins from  the  physicians  were  brought,  and  a tele- 
graph instrument  in  the  end  of  the  corridor  just 
ouside,  sent  the  tidings  round  the  world.  To  the 
right  of  the  private  secretary’s  room,  is  the  room 
where  the  members  of  the  Cabinet  sat.  Next  in 
the  suite  beyond  the  Cabinet  room,  comes  the 
family  sitting-room,  of  polygonal  shape,  with 
book-cases  in  its  recesses  and  alcoves.  Beyond 
this,  is  the  room  known  as  the  State  bed-chamber, 
and  next  to  this,  comes  two  rooms  in  the  north- 


614 


LIFE  A.VD  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


west  corner,  which  are  the  President’s  sleeping 
and  dressing  apartments.  In  this  south-west 
corner  the  wounded  President  lay,  remote  from 
noise  or  bustle,  while  in  the  south-east  corner 
rooms,  his  friends  awaited  in  anxious  suspense  in- 
telligence of  his  condition. 

The  following  plan  of  the  room  will  give  an 
idea  of  its  arrangement : 


Window. 


bo  . 


| Bureau.  j 


Window.  ^ 


Chair. 


| Table.  | 


■t 


President’s  Bed. 


Door  to 
Corridor. 


c3  o 

SS 

oqPh 

O bo 


Corridor. 


Corridor. 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD.  gT  ^ 

The  room  is  known  as  No.  17.  No.  18  was 
the  room  given  up  to  the  Cabinet. 

There  were  rarely  more  than  two  or  three  per- 
sons at  a time  in  the  sick  room.  Mrs.  Edson,  the 
nurse,  who  so  faithfully  waited  upon  Mrs.  Garfield, 
during  her  illness,  in  May  and  June,  stayed  in  the 
room,  and  Mrs.  James,  Mrs.  Blaine  and  Mrs.  Hunt 
took  turns  sitting  at  the  bedside  of  the  Presi- 
dent  and  fanning  him.  One  of  the  physicians 
remained  in  the  room ; the  doctors  alternating 
in  this  service.  The  others  sat  in  the  adjoining 
room,  within  call,  in  case  any  change  of  symptoms 
in  the  patient  needed  their  collective  attention. 
No  conversation  was  allowed,  and  the  scene  was 
hushed  and  still. 

The  patient  furnished  frequently,  throughout 
Sunday,  evidences  of  his  extraordinary  moral 
courage,  his  good  temper,  cheerfulness  and  regard 
for  the  feelings  of  others.  At  times  he  would  ex- 
press anxiety  for  those  who  were  attending  him, 
and  inquired  whether  they  had  had  proper  rest. 
Occasionally  he  asked. to  be  informed  of  the  gene- 
ral news  of  the  day,  and  requested  that  the  lead- 
ing editorial  articles  of  certain  newspapers  might 
be  read  to  him.  He  expressed  a desire  to  be  in- 
formed as  to  what  was  being  said  about  the 
attempted  assassination,  and,  at  his  earnest  re- 
quest, Mrs.  Garfield  proceeded  to  read  to  him 
from  the  newspapers.  When  a paragraph  was 
read  hinting  that  the  crime  which  had  prostrated 


6i  6 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


him  was  the  result  of  a conspiracy,  he  shook  his 
head,  and  said,  with  emphasis,  “ I do  not  believe 
that.”  So  the  day  wore  on.  The  hours  passed 
with  slow  monotony,  with  alternating  hope  and  fear. 

An  incident  occurred  which  showed,  as  the  night 
settled  down  upon  Washington,  at  once  the  great 
good-nature  of  the  President,  his  utter  abnega- 
tion of  self,  and  his  intelligent  recognition  of  the 
importance  of  the  physicians’  order  for  remaining 
quiet.  Gen.  Swaim  was  sitting  by  his  bedside, 
fanning  him,  and  to  him  the  patient  persisted  in 
talking.  Gen.  Swaim  remonstrated  several  times 
about  continuing  such  efforts  against  the  order  of 
the  physicians.  The  remonstrances  failing  to  pro- 
duce the  desired  effect,  then  Gen.  Swaim  said,  in 
a petulant  tone  : “ I won’t  talk  to  you  and  won’t 
listen  to  you.  Why  don’t  you  keep  quiet?”  The 
President  laughed  at  this  outburst,  and  said: 
“What  is. the  use  of  your  getting  mad  with  me, 
Swaim?  You  know  sick  people  must  be  in- 
dulged.” To  this,  Gen.  Swaim  returned:  “I  will 
get  mad  if  you  don’t  stop  talking  now.  You 
must  keep  quiet.  If  you  don’t,  I won’t  take  care 
of  you,  and  won’t  let  any  one  else  do  it.”  Again 
the  President  laughed  at  his  old  friend’s  bluntness, 
and,  grasping  his  arm,  said,  with  a twinkle  in  his 
eye,  “ I will  make  a treaty  with  you.  If  you  keep 
my  mouth  filled  with  ice,  I will  keep  quiet.”  “ It 
is  a bargain,”  responded  Swaim,  as  he  proceeded 
to  carry  out  the  terms  of  the  treaty. 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD . 


617 


At  another  time  during  the  night,  when  Col. 
Rockwell  was  watching  by  the  bedside,  the  Presi- 
dent moved  uneasily  and  uttered  a slight  groan. 
Col.  Rockwell  asked  if  he  was  suffering  much 
pain,  to  which  the  President  responded:  “Yes,  I 
suffer  some.  I suppose  the  tigers  are  coming 
back ; but  they  don’t  usually  stay  long.  Don’t 
be  alarmed,  old  boy.” 

The  night  was,  in  spite  of  the  President’s  cheer- 
fulness, to  every  one  at,  or  connected  with  the 
White  House,  a night  of  suspense  and  agony. 
It  seemed  as  though  the  shadow  of  death  had 
settled  there,  and  that  death  itself  might  come 
before  morning.  The  President’s  pulse  was  ac 
celerated  by  a fever  which  would  have  burned  his 
life  away  if  not  reduced.  Those  ominous  prickly 
sensations  in  the  feet  and  legs,  characterized  by 
the  patient  himself  as  “tiger  clawing,”  showed 
that  the  nerves  were  protesting  at  some  great  in- 
jury done  to  one  of  the  largest  of  them  or  to  their 
centre,  the  spinal  cord.  It  was  a grave,  critical 
time.  The  silent  physicians,  as  they  bent  over  the 
bedside,  testing  the  pulse,  the  respiration  and  the 
temperature  of  the  blood,  knew  that  medical  skill 
was  of  little  avail.  Restoration  from  relapse  was 
to  be  the  work  of  nature  alone. 

Nature  did  what  was  hoped  she  would  do,  though 
for  three  hours  or  more  she  struggled  terribly 
with  death.  At  length  death  was  vanquished  ; 
but  for  how  long?  Would  there  be  another 

o 


6 18 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


struggle,  when,  taxed  beyond  the  power  of  resist- 
ance, nature  must  succumb?  The  physicians,  as 
they  silently  moved  from  the  sick  chamber  to  the 
adjoining  darkened  room,  where  sat  the  members 
of  the  Cabinet,  strangely  mute,  expressed  this  idea 
to  them.  It  was  needless  for  them  to  inquire.  They 
glanced  up  with  imploring  look,  and  their  glance 
asked  the  question  more  eagerly  than  words  could 
ever  do. 

At  midnight  the  White  House  doors  were 
closed,  and  all  the  door-keepers  departed  but 
one,  who  seated  himself  at  the  open  window  on 
the  west  side  of  the  corridor,  on  the  lookout  to 
admit  privileged  visitors.  Thereafter  nobody, 
except  the  physicians  and  Cabinet  Ministers,  was 
allowed  to  go  up-stairs.  A fat  colored  policeman 
kept  patient  watch  at  the  iron  gate  in  front  of  the 
grounds,  before  which  a large  crowd  still  lingered 
wistfully.  A regular  soldier,  with  fixed  bayonet, 
paced  silently  on  the  path  behind  him.  His  comrades, 
wrapped  in  blankets,  lay  sleeping  under  the  trees 
upon  the  eastern  greensward,  their  rifles  stacked 
in  front  of  them.  A long-bearded  police  sergeant 
sat,  club  in  hand,  upon  the  White  House  porch, 
surrounded  by  a dozen  waiting  newspaper  men, 
beginning  their  weary  all-night  vigil.  In  the 
shadow  of  the  turn  in  the  pathway  stood  a hack, 
its  negro  driver  fast  asleep  upon  his  box.  At 
intervals,  the  white  helmet  and  military  short  cloak 
of  the  officer  in  command  of  the  troops  appeared 


SURGEONS  IN  CHARGE  OF  PRESIDENT  GARFIELD. 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


619 


out  of  the  darkness,  as  he  walked  softly  by  on  his 
rounds.  The  leaves  of  the  trees  were  unstirred 
by  the  slightest  breeze,  and  hardly  a sound  broke 
the  stillness. 

At  1 o’clock  there  was  a subdued  stir,  caused 
by  the  arrival  of  a bulletin  from  the  four  phy- 
sicians on  cruard  in  the  sick-room.  It  was  has- 

o 

tily  perused  by  the  reporters,  who  instantly  flitted 
off  to  the  telegraph  office.  Their  appearance 
at  the  gate  had  an  electrical  effect  upon  the  wait- 
ing crowd,  who  ran  along  with  them,  eagerly  ply- 
ing anxious  inquiries.  The  message  they  threw 
right  and  left  was  of  hope  and  improvement,  and 
was  received  with  sighs  of  relief  and  fervent 
“ Thank  Gods.” 

Alone  in  the  hushed  city,  the  great  Western 
Union  Building  blazed  with  light,  and  buzzed  with 
the  hum  of  instruments.  The  receiving-room  was 
thronged  by  message-senders,  and  on  the  operating 
floor  a double  force  of  perspiring  operators  were 
working  at  high  tension.  At  1 .30  it  was  announced 
by  the  physicians  that  no  further  bulletins  would 
be  issued  until  7.30  in  the  morning,  and  soon 
afterward  the  members  of  the  Cabinet  took  their 
departure,  for  the  purpose  of  obtaining  a few 
hours  of  needed  sleep.  Secretary  Lincoln  said, 
in  passing  out,  they  had  been  assured  that  no 
change  was  likely  to  occur  before  morning. 
Secretary  Blaine,  when  asked  in  a whisper 
regarding  the  probabilities,  mournfully  shook  his 
head  and  hurried  away.  Secretary  Windom 


620 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


paused  to  request  the  door-keeper  to  summon 
him  immediately  should  anything  serious  happen. 
All  were  grave  and  silent,  and  the  impression  they 
left  was  one  to  deaden  hope.  All  the  physicians, 
except  Dr.  Woodward,  retired  at  i o’clock,  and 
the  President  was  reported  to  be  sleeping  quietly. 

At  3.30  a messenger  emerged  from  the  White 
House  and  aroused  the  sleeping  hackman  in  the 
shadow,  and  the  vehicle  rattled  out  of  the  gate, 
returning  soon  afterward  with  a tall,  thin,  white- 
whiskered  gentleman  in  black,  who  was  imme- 
diately ushered  up-stairs.  This  was  Dr.  Agnew, 
of  Philadelphia,  who  had  been  telegraphed  for. 
A few  minutes  before  4 o’clock  the  muffled  boom 
of  die  arsenal  gun  called  attention  to  the  fact  that 
the  skies  were  brightening  with  the  coming  dawn 
— the  dawn  of  Independence  Day,  the  glorious 
Fourth,  now  shrouded  in  silence  and  clad  in 
mourning.  As  if  they  had  awaited  the  signal,  the 
robins  and  other  birds  immediately  began  to  chirp 
and  whistle  all  over  the  spacious  grounds,  and  two 
tiny  sparrows,  who  had  a nest  in  front  of  the 
centre  of  the  White  House  porch,  flitted  busily 
to  and  fro,  conveying  food  to  their  brood.  The 
sun  quickly  mounted  the  heavens.  The  soldiers 
on  the  lawn  aroused  themselves  one  by  one,  and 
crept  sleepily  off  for  a wash  and  breakfast.  An 
ancient  servant  appeared  from  the  cellar-depths 
with  a long  ladder  and  put  out  the  lights  in  the 
grounds.  People  began  to  pass  in  the  streets, 
and  life  gradually  returned  to  the  sorrowing  city. 


james  a.  gareield. 


621 


At  6 o’clock,  Secretary  Hunt’s  coachman  drove 
up,  and  a messenger  descended  the  White  House 
stairs  and  informed  the  yawning  watchers  that  the 
physicians  had  arisen,  and  had  made  a cursory 
examination  of  the  President.  Their  conclusion 
was  that  he  had  held  his  own  during  the  nisdit. 

o o 

The  messenger  added  that  they  were  preparing 
to  hold  a consultation  with  Dr.  Agnew,  and  that  a 
thorough  and  exhaustive  examination  would  take 
place  at  once.  This  was  received  by  the  crowds 
at  the  gates  with  joy — it  presaged  some  little  hope. 
How  grateful  these  people  were  for  even  a little  ! 
Certainly  nothing  more  touching  than  the  faithful- 
ness of  these  crowds  in  front  of  the  White  House 
gates  was  witnessed  in  connection  with  the  affair. 

Let  me  cite  the  messenger’s  experience  that 
morning.  As  he  passed  the  gates  he  was  eagerly 
questioned  for  news  by  a colored  man,  who  had 
stood  guard  there  since  the  first.  He  was  em- 
phatically  what  is  called  “ a poor  nigger.”  He 
was  hatless,  shoeless,  shirtless.  The  few  worn 
garments  which  invested  his  spare  frame  wanted 
only  an  apology  for  going  to  pieces.  His  frizzed 
hair  and  thin  gray  beard  were  disheveled,  but 
they  seemed  to  gain  a glory  from  the  tints  of 
the  bright  warm  sunshine,  whose  heat  was  almost 
% overpowering.  Like  an  ancient  servitor,  stood 
the  old  man  close  to  the  sentries,  and  peered 
through  the  iron  gates,  whose  portals  he  could 
not  pass.  When  the  messenger  told  him  the 


622 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


doctors  had  great  hopes  of  saving  the  President, 
he  said,  simply  but  with  fervor:  “Thank  God  for 
that!”  and  turned  again  to  his  post  by  the  palings, 
resuming  his  patient  watch. 

And  so  it  was  everywhere  about  the  city.  Men 
were  tearful,  prayerful  and  quiet.  High  and 
low  shared  in  the  feelings  of  sympathy  and  devo- 
tion. The  Cabinet  officers  and  their  wives,  men 
of  mark  who  had  won  renown  in  battle,  debate, 
or  in  the  marts  of  trade,  all  had  the  sense  of 
personal  bereavement.  Even  old  army  veterans, 
some  of  them  battle-scarred,  to  whom  wounds 
were  mere  child’s  play  in  war-time,  cried  outright 
as  the  varying  bulletins  told  the  ebb  and  flow  of 
that  most  precious  life. 

And  this  was  the  way  in  which  the  dawn  of 
our  National  holiday  came  in  at  our  National 
Capital.  It  hardly  need  be  said  there  was  no  cel- 
ebration. No  one  had  the  heart  to  do  more  than 
grieve.  For  the  first  time  in  the  history  of  the 
American  Republic  the  anniversary  of  the  Dec- 
laration of  Independence  was  passed  in  the  capi- 
tal of  the  nation  with  no  signs  of  recognition 
except  the  hoisting  of  the  National  flag.  As  it 
fluttered  to  the  breeze,  announcing  life  to  the 
people,  there  were  within  the  White  House,  pale 
faces  and  aching-  hearts.  The  President  was  again 
sinking.  His  life  hung  upon  a thread.  Dr.  Frank 
H.  Hamilton,  of  New  York,  was  in  consultation 
with  the  regular  surgeons  and  Dr.  Agnew.  A 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


623 


crisis  had  been  reached.  The  consultation  gave 
but  little  hope.  As  the  heat  of  the  day  grew  more 
pronounced,  the  President’s  condition  became 
Avorse,  and  unfavorable  bulletins  carried  all  over 
the  land  gloom  and  mourning. 

The  heat  Avas  a bad  omen  for  the  Avounded  Pre- 
sident ; but  his  chamber  was  darkened,  and  Mm. 
Garfield  sat  by  his  side  fanning  him.  The  ladies 
of  the  Cabinet  relieved  her  from  time  to  time,  and 
there  Avas  no  lack  of  loving  hands  to  minister  to 
the  Avants  of  the  illustrious  patient.  Mrs.  Garfield 
Avas  the  only  member  of  the  family  alloAved  to 
enter  the  sick  room.  She  sat  by  the  bedside 
holding  her  husband’s  hand,  and  refused  the 
surgeon’s  request,  to  leave  him  a moment,  that 
she  miofht  take  much-needed  rest.  The  ladies  of 
the  Cabinet  Avere  excluded  from  the  room,  except 
at  such  time  as  some  one  of  them  was  needed  to 
attend  to  the  President,  and  no  person,  except 
those  who  Avere  called  for  actual  service,  Avas 
permitted  to  enter.  Absolute  quiet  was  imper- 
ative. 

Secretary  Blaine  Avas  early  at  the  White  House, 
and  was  present  during  the  closing  minutes  of  the 
consultation  of  doctors.  After  it  was  ended,  he 
paced  the  library  thoughtfully,  battling  manfully 
AATith  the  belief  he  couldn’t  overcome,  that  the 
President  must  die.  Secretary  Kirkwood  and 
Postmaster-General  James,  with  Mrs.  James, 
entered  the  White  House  after  the  consulta- 


624  LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 

tion  was  ended.  Secretary  Hunt  and  Attorney- 
General  McVeagh  followed  soon  after.  All  the 
gentlemen  looked  sad  and  weary  from  long 
watching ; but  most  of  them  were  hopeful  of  the 
future,  or  at  least  tried  to  be.  Not  one  of  them 
saw  the  President,  but  they  watched  silently  in  the 
library,  catching  eagerly  every  piece  of  news  which 
came  from  the  sick  man’s  chamber. 

At  noon,  the  physicians  made  another  exami- 
nation of  the  wound.  The  result  of  this  exami- 
nation was  not  unfavorable  in  any  sense.  It  did 
not  show  any  change  for  the  worse,  but  it  did  not 
indicate  any  change  for  the  better.  During  the 
last  hour  the  sick  man  had  been  seized  with  several 
attacks  of  vomiting,  but  no  serious  consequences 
were  anticipated  from  them.  The  surgeons,  by 
careful  treatment,  had  succeeded  in  alleviating 
the  pains  in  the  feet  and  legs,  and  the  patient 
rested  much  more  easily  than  he  had  since  the 
shooting.  After  noon,  a great  part  of  the  time  up  to 
3 o’clock  was  passed  in  sleeping.  The  naps  were 
short,  seldom  exceeding  five  minutes,  but  they 
were  refreshing,  and  they  were  relied  on  by  the 
physicians  to  do  much  good.  The  President  would 
awake  from  them,  remain  with  his  eyes  open  for 
about  five  minutes,  and  then  doze  off  again. 
After  one  of  these  short  naps,  while  Col.  Rock- 
well was  holding  his  hand,  he  suddenly  asked : 
“What  is  the  feeling  in  the  country?”  Col.  Rock- 
well replied:  “The  country  is  full  of  sympathy 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


625 


for  you.  We  are  saving-  all  the  papers  so  that 
you  can  see  them  when  you  get  well ; but  you 
must  not  talk  now.  You  can  rest  assured  that 
all  the  people  are  greatly  concerned  about  your 
condition.”  The  President  smiled,  pressed  his 
arm,  turned  over,  and  dozed  off  again. 

The  hours  dragged  themselves  along  on  leaden 
feet.  The  heat  grew  more  intense,  ever  exciting 
the  gravest  apprehensions  in  the  minds  of 
everybody  as  to  its  effect  upon  the  sufferer.  Yet 
the  multitude  of  patient  waiters  in  front  of  the 
gate  grew  larger  constantly,  until,  to  effect  an  en- 
trance, one  was  obliged  to  make  a detour  of  a 
half  a block  through  the  middle  of  the  broad 
avenue.  There  were  well-dressed  men  and 
women,  laborers  and  negroes,  all  quiet,  sober  and 
silent,  with  deep  anxiety  depicted  on  their  counte- 
nances, patiently  awaiting  the  issue  of  the  next 
bulletin,  which  it  seemed  would  never  come.  It  re- 
quired a strong  effort  of  memory  to  recall  the  an- 
niversary that  was  passing  away.  Hundreds  of 
privileged  persons  crept  solemnly  in  and  out  of 
the  White  House,  as  though  attending  a funeral. 
All  conversation  was  in  whispers.  Very  little  in- 
formation was  to  be  had,  and  that  not  of  a reas- 
suring character.  Nobody  was  admitted  to  the 
sick  chamber.  The  ante-rooms  were  swelterin'?; 
but  everybody  lingered  until  7.30  o’clock,  when 
another  official  bulletin  was  issued,  describing  the 
President’s  condition  as  worse,  and  statino-  that 


626 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


the  dreaded  tympanites  had  increased  in  spite  of 
the  efforts  of  the  physicians.  The  announcement 
fell  like  a pall  upon  the  listeners,  and,  quickly 
spreading  through  the  city,  deepened  the  gloom 
that  everywhere  prevailed.  It  was  of  no  avail 
that  sanguine  persons  were  to  be  found,  who  said 
that  it  was  only  natural  that  ailing  persons  should 
become  depressed  at  nightfall.  The  extension  of 
the  tympanites  was  regarded  as  indicative  that  the 
sufferer  was  worse  than  at  the  same  time  the  night 
before.  The  next  two  hours  were  the  most  anx- 
ious and  miserable  that  the  country  had  yet  passed 
through.  The  awful  suspense,  the  heavy  hours  of 
the  Saturday  before  came  back  more  horrible  than 
ever.  Then  came  another  bulletin,  full  of  unex- 
pected cheer.  “The  President’s  condition,”  it  said, 
“ has  greatly  ameliorated.”  With  lightning  rapidity 
these  words  passed  from  mouth  to  mouth,  followed 
by  a train  of  brightening  faces,  and  such  exclama- 
tions as  “ That’s  good  !”  “ Thank  God  !”  and 
“ Bless  the  Lord  !”  In  an  incredibly  short  space 
of  time,  the  encouraging  story  was  the  topic  of 
excited  conversation  everywhere — on  the  streets, 
in  the  hotel  corridors,  in  homes,  and  in  the  cars 
all  over  the  United  States.  Other  reports,  many 
of  them  well  authenticated,  came  quickly  after, 
each  promising  better  things  than  the  other,  and 
the  Fourth  went  out  in  a condition  of  universal 
thankfulness  and  rejoicing  befitting  the  nation’s 
birthday. 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 

The  scene  within  the  White  House  during  that 
evening  is  thus  described  by  an  eye-witness  : 

“There  was  a crisis.  For  the  first  time  after  his  recovery 
from  the  shock  of  the  bullet,  the  President  seemed  to  lose 
hope  himself.  Part  of  the  time  he  was  delirious.  He  slept 
a little,  but  it  was  a sleep  largely  produced  by  frequent  doses 
of  morphine.  He  suffered  pains  ; he  moaned  and  tossed  in 
his  bed.  The  cheerful  look  departed  from  the  eye.  There 
were  no  jests  upon  his  lips.  The  wives  of  the  Cabinet  officers 
were  constant  in  their  attendance.  Everybody  was  already 
worn  out  when  the  result  of  the  early  evening  consultation 
was  announced.  As  is  already  known,  it  was  unfavorable. 
Tympanites  had  again  appeared,  and  apparently  in  a more 
threatening  form  than  before.  Grave  men  shook  their  heads, 
and  Mrs.  Blaine  came  from  the  President’s  room  weeping. 
Even  the  brave  Mrs.  Garfield  lost  somewhat  of  the  splendid 
courage  which  had  sustained  her  throughout  her  trying 
ordeal.  She  almost  fainted  ; and  as  the  hot  breath  of  the 
night  and  the  gloom  of  the  twilight  entered  the  apartments, 
it  seemed  as  though  they  foreboded  a tragic  ending  of  the 
crime  of  the  fanatic. 

“ The  chief  men  of  the’country  were  grieving  with  the  nation. 
I sat  in  the  great  East  Room  with  the  Attorney-General.  The 
last  time  I had  been  there  it  was  at  Mr.  Hayes’  last  diploma- 
tic reception,  when  thousands  of  elegantly  dressed  people 
thronged  it,  and  music  and  lights  and  flowers  made  it,  for 
that  evening  at  least,  the  handsomest  room  in  the  country. 
Last  night  there  were  no  lights.  The  great  spaces  were 
gloomy  with  what  seemed  to  be  the  gloom  of  coming  death. 
Through  the  open  windows  on  the  south  side  the  summer  air 
stole  lazily,  and  the  shadows  of  the  draperies  seemed  to  add 
to  the  darkness.  There  was  no  music  now — only  the  sound 
of  whispered  conversation  as  people  went  up  or  down  the 
stairs.  Secretary  Blaine  came  down  alone.  He  looked 
worn  out  physically,  and  his  face  was  the  picture  of  unutter- 


628 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


able  grief.  He  spoke  to  no  one,  apparently  saw  no  one. 
His  eyes  were  on  the  floor  as  he  passed  out  upon  the  porch 
fanning  himself.  That  sick  man’s  fate  meant  a great  deal  to 
his  first  Secretary ; but  there  has  been  no  talk  of  that,  and 
for  all  that  the  world  knows  there  has  been  no  thought  of  it. 
The  spectacle  of  the  strong  man  of  the  White  House  struck 
down  in  an  instant  without  warning,  for  no  reason,  and  only) 
to  gratify  the  whim  of  a madman,  absorbed  everything  else. 
The  highest  public  duty,  to  save  the  life  of  the  President, 
seems  to  be  the  thought  of  everybody  connected  with  the 
government.  Justice  Field  seemed  constantly  present  at  the 
White  House,  nervously  moving  here  and  there,  talking  with 
many  of  the  attendants,  and  evidently  finding  it  impossible 
to  be  at  ease  when  he  could  not  be  in  constant  receipt  of 
news  from  the  President. 

“Sitting  in  the  room  with  Mr.  McVeagh,  I learned  the 
state  of  mind  of  all  about  the  White  House.  It  is  the  fact 
that  for  at  least  two  hours  there  had  been  no  hope  of  the  Pre- 
sident’s recovery.  The  doctors,  the  attendants,  the  ladies 
about  the  house  and  those  who  visit  the  family  had  given  up. 
It  was  not  thought  that  the  patient  would  die  during  the  night, 
but  it  was  conceded  that  at  least  all  hope  had  left.  It  is  won- 
derful how  strongly  the  President  has  attached  to  himself  all 
those  about  him.  Great,  big,  bluff,  hearty  Ingersoll,  who  has 
loved  Garfield  many  years,  but  who  has  been  somewhat 
estranged  of  late,  walked  through  the  upper  halls  with  tears 
streaming  down  his  cheeks.  The  members  of  the  Cabinet 
seemed  to  feel  as  though  they  were  losing  a lifelong,  personal 
friend.  No  one  could  doubt  that  who  listened  to  the  dis- 
couraged tones  of  Mr.  McVeagh,  as  he  said  that  he  had  no 
longer  any  hopes.  Men  cannot  give  their  voices  the  quality 
of  sympathy  that  comes  from  within  and  cannot  be  counter- 
feited. ‘Ah,’  said  he,  ‘he  was  never  a better  President  than 
he  was  at  the  moment  when  Guiteau’s  bullet  struck  him  down. 
He  never  saw  more  clearly,  and  he  never  had  a firmer  or  better 
purpose.  He  was  going  to  be  all  that  the  best  thought  of  the 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD.  fi2g 

country  ever  expected  of  him.  He  was  going  to  be  a great 
President.  ’ 

“Suddenly  there  was  a change  for  the  better.  Toward 
midnight,  the  troubled  slumbers  of  the  President  became  peace- 
ful, and  he  soon  sank  into  the  best  sleep  he  had  enjoyed  since 
the  shooting  on  Saturday  morning.  His  pulse  and  temper- 
ature became  better ; there  were  signs  of  an  improved  vitality; 
the  breathing  was  easier;  the  pains  ceased;  there  was  no 
longer  any  appearance  of  dangerous  inflammation  or  of  peri- 
tonitis; hope  began  to  dawn  where  despondency  had  been; 
the  faces  that  had  been  full  of  gloom  began  to  look  hopeful; 
there  was  yet  some  encouragement ; recovery  flung  out  her 
signals  in  the  steady  breathings  and  the  peaceful  slumber  of  the 
President.  The  improvement  continued,  and  soon  it  was  cer- 
tain that  the  patient  would  at  least  survive  through  the  night, 
and  that  it  could  again  be  said  that  there  was  hope  of  final 
recovery.  It  seemed  as  though  the  strong  will  and  constitu- 
tion of  the  man  had  made  one  more  effort  for  life.  The 
struggle  all  along  has  been  one  of  ups  and  downs.  Now  the 
wound  appears  to  have  its  way,  and  then  again  the  man  of 
vim,  will  and  frame  asserts  himself.  This  ought  to  be  borne 
in  mind  in  considering  the  relative  importance  of  the  bulle- 
tins that  are  issued  by  the  attending  physicians.  They  simply 
indicate  a struggle  and  the  existence  of  a possibility  that  the 
President  may  live.  That  is  all.” 

The  next  morning  there  seemed  to  be  more 
sunshine  in  life,  more  beauty  in  nature,  more  good- 
ness in  the  world — the  President  was  better. 
During  the  day  and  the  next  night  he  held  his 
own.  On  Wednesday,  Washington  returned  to 
its  normal  condition.  All  business,  which  had 
been  so  rudely  interrupted,  went  on  again  as  usual, 
and  the  bulletins  that  appeared  from  time  to  time, 
were  encouradno;. 

o o> 

The  President  had  all  along  been  impatient 


630 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


to  see  his  children,  who  up  to  this  time — 
July  9th — had  been  excluded  from  his  bed-room. 
He  was,  however,  so  well  on  that  day,  that  it  was 
decided-  to  allow  them  to  come  in  one  by  one. 
The  three  children  were  called  together — Harry, 
Jimmie  and  Mollie — and  each  was  told  that  a visit 
was  to  be  paid  to  their  father.  Before  being 
admitted  to  the  room  they  were  cautioned  not  to 
talk  and  not  to  allow  their  father  to  converse  with 
them.  As  Miss  Millie  entered  the  sick  room  she 
stood  on  the  threshold  a moment,  and  brushing 
away  a few  tears  that  would  show  themselves,  she 
advanced  firmly  up  to  the  bed  on  which  her  father 
lay.  The  President  was  turned  the  other  way 
when  his  daughter  entered,  but  he  heard  her  light 
step  and  at  once  guessed  it  was  she. 

“ My  dearest  girl,”  he  said,  moving  near  where 
his  daughter  was  standing.  He  clasped  her  hands 
in  his  and  was  about  to  speak  further  when  she 
disengaged  one  of  her  hands  and  placed  a finger 
across  his  lip.  He  playfully  attempted  to  bite  the 
finger  and  then  smiled. 

“You  are  a brave,  good  child,  Mollie,”  he  said; 
“ and  you  must  hope  that  your  papa  will  get  well.” 

“You  will  get  better,  papa;  I know  you  will,” 
Miss  Mollie  replied,  trying  to  keep  back  the  tears; 
“ but  you  must  not  talk.” 

The  father  held  his  daughter’s  hands  in  his 
until  the  latter  quietly  slipped  out  of  the  room, 
knowing  that  her  brothers  would  be  impatient  for 
the  favor  she  had  already  enjoyed. 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


631 


The  meeting  between  father  and  sons  was  af- 
fecting.  He  grasped  the  right  hand  of  Harry,  the 
elder,  and  was  evidently  greatly  agitated.  The 
youth  bore  himself  well  and  showed  no  signs 
of  the  storm  that  must  have  been  raging-  within 
him.  He  said  a few  cheery  words  to  his  father, 
and  the  latter  responded  a trifle  sadly  that  he 
hoped  he  would  get  better  to  be  with  his  wife 
and  children  once  more.  Seeing  that  his  pres- 
ence seemed  to  affect  his  father  Harry  withdrew 
and  Jimmie  was  admitted.  He  was  detained  by 
his  father  for  a long  time,  but  the  President  did 
not  talk  much,  as  his  son  would  not  allow  him  to 
do  so.  The  President  asked  him  what  he  had 
been  doing  all  the  morning,  and  Jimmie  answered 
that  he  had  been  waiting  to  see  his  papa.  “ That’s 
a good  boy,  my  son,”  said  the  father. 

From  that  day  until  Saturday,  July  23d,  there 
was  nothing,  apparently,  but  a steady  march  to 
convalescence.  While  the  hearts  of  the  people 
watched  eagerly,  closely,  always,  for  the  slightest 
change,  they  had  come  to  the  conclusion  that 
Providence  was  on  their  side,  and  the  President 
would  get  well.  Aided  by  the  physicians,  he  was 
rapidly  doing  so.  That  morning,  however,  there 
was  a relapse.  This  is  told  in  the  story  of  the  bul- 
letins, to  which  the  next  chapter  is  devoted. 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


632 


CHAPTER  XL. 


THE  STORY  OF  THE  BULLETINS. 

WHEN  the  President  lay  wounded  in  the 
railway  station,  the  first  physician  to 
reach  his  side  was  Dr.  Smith  Towns- 
hend,  Health  Officer  of  the  District  of  Columbia. 
Dr.  Townshend,  on  arriving,  found  that  a faint  and 
slight  vomiting  had  just  occurred.  There  was  no 
pulse  perceptible.  Aromatic  spirits  of  ammonia 
and  brandy  were  immediately  administered.  The 
clothing  having  been  loosened,  Dr.  Townshend 
examined  the  wound,  and  was  impressed  with  a 
belief  that  it  was  necessarily  fatal.  Dr.  Townshend 
was  succeeded  by  Dr.  D.  W.  Bliss,  whom  the 
President  immediately  asked  to  take  charge  of 
his  case.  A number  of  doctors  answered  the 
summons  for  medical  aid  with  promptness,  and 
from  those  who  came,  three  more  were  selected 
to  assist  Dr.  Bliss,  namely,  Surgeon-General  J. 
K.  Barnes,  of  the  army;  and  Doctors  J.  J.  Wood- 
ward and  Robert  Reyburn.  During  Saturday 
and  the  ever-eventful  Sunday,  these  gentlemen 
decided  that  the  best  thing  to  do  was  to  do  very 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


633 


little.  The  wound  was  situated  on  the  right  side, 
four  inches  from  the  spine,  and  passed  between 
the  tenth  and  eleventh  ribs,  fracturing  the  upper 
edge  of  the  latter.  The  ball  then  passed  appa- 
rently through  the  liver,  and  lodged  in  the  abdo- 
men. The  wound  was  dressed  antiseptically  (z. 
e.y  the  preventing  of  putrefaction  of  the  wounded 
parts) — quinine  was  administered  to  prevent  ma- 
laria seizing  on  the  system,  and  a hypodermic  in- 
jection of  morphine  was  also  given  to  induce  sleep 
and  quiet  the  bowels.  It  was  deemed  advisable 
to  send  for  further  medical  advice,  and  Doctors 
Frank  H.  Hamilton,  of  New  York,  and  D.  Hayes 
Agnew,  of  Philadelphia,  were  summoned  by 
telegraph.  They  arrived  Monday  morning,  and 
with  the  surgeons  already  in  attendance,  held 
a consultation.  They  fully  approved  the  course 
of  treatment  that  had  been  adopted,  and  urged  its 
continuance. 

It  was  then  decided,  in  order  to  satisfy  the 
extreme  anxiety  of  the  public,  to  issue  official 
bulletins  three  times  daily.  The  use  of  technical 
terms  in  these  bulletins  could  not  be  avoided,  es- 
pecially when  the  necessity  of  condensation,  in 
order  that  they  might  be  quickly  prepared  and 
frequently  issued,  is  taken  into  consideration.  It 
is  but  natural  that  very  many  persons  should 
be  unfamiliar  with  these  terms,  and,  with  the 
view  of  rendering  the  bulletins  intelligible  to 
all,  the  surgeons  accompanied  the  figures  showing 


634 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


temperature,  pulse  and  respiration  with  a brief 
remark,  to  the  effect  that  “the  President’s  condi- 
tion continues  favorable.” 

The  following  tables  will  enable  the  reader  to 
obtain  a correct  diagnosis  of  the  case  on  three 
points — pulse,  temperature,  respiration — from  the 
first  day  until  July  15th,  on  which  day,  convales- 
cence seemed  so  sure  that  I stopped  compiling  the 
tables.  The  letters  M,  N and  E,  stand  for  morning, 
noon  and  evening,  and  the  positions  of  the  dots  on 
each  square  of  the  diagram  show  the  upward  and 
downward  fluctuations  from  better  to  worse  and 
from  worse  to  better  during  each  day  of  the 
President’s  illness,  the  normal  condition  being 
shown  by  the  horizontal  lines  of  dots  in  the 
tables  of  respiration,  pulse-beats  and  temper- 
ature. 


, 

r 1 

6 

JO 

I 

■g 

■E 

1 

\s 

*fc- 

Pays  of 
Disease, 

1. 

2. 

3. 

4. 

5. 

6. 

7. 

8. 

9. 

10. 

XI. 

12. 

13. 

H 

ta 

A 

a 

i 

§ 

a 

y) 

50.. ., 

40.. ., 

33.. , 

mne 

MNE 

MNE 

JCME 

MNE 

MNE 

MNE 

MNE 

MNE 

MNE 

MNE 

MN ~E 

MNE 

30.. .. 

25.. .. 

20.. .. 

ldoo 

10...  , 

-*-*/  \ 

hi 

V 

P"” 

1 i 

1 

1 

' 

JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


635 


Days  of 
Disease. 

1. 

*1 

s. 

4. 

5. 

6. 

r. 

8. 

9. 

20. 

11. 

12. 

13. 

a 

=H 

"A 

PH 

*0 

C/t 

a 

D 

Ph 

140.. . 

130.- 

120.. . 

110.. . 

100.. . 

90-.,.. 

50.. .. 

70.. .. 

jinfJ-'ixt: 

| 

-MXE 

MXE 

iVXE 

MXK 

1IXE 

MNE 

3CTE 

MXE 

iIXE 

J1XE 

MXK 

1 

*V 

■* 

!\ 

\l 

* 

* 

-V  - 

{ 

/\ 

-/\DT 

■ i-  1 

M\  rl\ 

V'] 

\2 

V 

1 

.... 

* 





A word  in  explanation  of  these  tables.  “Pulse,” 
on  a bulletin,  means  the  number  of  beats  per 
minute  of  the  patient’s  pulse.  This,  as  every- 


6^6  ’ LIFE  AjVD  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 

body  understands,  is  determined  by  counting  the 
pulsations,  watch  in  hand.  “ Temperature  ” means 
the  degree  of  heat,  Fahrenheit,  of  the  patient’s 
body.  This  is  ascertained  by  placing  the  bulb  of 
a small  thermometer,  specially  arranged  and 
adapted  for  the  purpose,  in  the  mouth  of  the  pa- 
tient, or  under  the  armpit,  as  the  attending  surgeon 
may  -see  fit.  The  highest  degree  registered  by 
the  mercury  shows  the  temperature  of  the  body. 
“ Respiration  ” means  the  number  of  breathings 
per  minute,  and  these,  like  the  pulsations,  are  as- 
certained by  watching  and  counting  the  times  the 
chest  rises  and  falls  per  minute.  In  good  health, 
the  natural  beats  of  the  pulse  vary  in  different 
persons.  The  average  of  adults  is  from  60  to  70 
per  minute.  There  are,  however,  very  wide  dif- 
ferences, even  in  healthy  persons.  For  instance, 
Bonaparte’s  natural  pulse-beat  was  only  about  42, 
while  that  of  one  of  the  lord  justices  of  England 
was  as  high  as  1 28  per  minute.  These,  however, 
are  extremes.  Then,  too,  the  pulse-beats  of 
healthy  persons  vary  at  different  times  of  the  day, 
or,  according  to  the  position  of  the  body,  or  to 
the  activity  or  quiet  of  the  person.  The  greatest 
frequency  of  the  beats  occurs  during  the  middle 
of  the  day,  and  the  least  about  midnight.  As  a 
rule,  in  health,  the  pulse  is  quicker  in  the  morn- 
ing than  in  the  evening ; but  in  fever,  especially 
in  warm  weather,  this  is  reversed,  and  the  increase 
is  in  the  evening. 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


637 


The  President’s  pulse,  since  the  hopeful  syrup- 
toms  of  his  case  set  in,  has  invariably  quickened 
in  the  evening  and  decreased  in  the  morning. 
The  doctors  attributed  the  increase  to  the  heat, 
stir  and  bustle  incident  to  the  daytime,  and  the 
decrease  to  the  cooler  atmosphere  and  the  gene- 
ral quiet  which  prevailed  at  night.  President 
Garfield’s  natural  pulse,  when  in  good  health  and 
quiet,  is  about  70  beats  per  minute.  The  highest 
pulsation  reached  in  his  case  was  126.  For  sev- 
eral days  it  ranged  from  108  to  96.  In  cases  of 
extreme  lethargy,  the  pulse  has  been  known  to  go 
down  to  17,  and  the  other  extreme  on  record  is 
200 ; the  latter  occurring  in  children  afflicted  with 
water  on  the  brain.  The  average  temperature  or 
natural  heat  of  the  human  body,  in  good  condi- 
tion of  health,  is  98^°  (98.5°  Fahr.).  The  98th 
degree  is  marked  on  the  thermometers  as  “ blood- 
heat.”  Cases  are  on  record  in  which  the  term 
perature  rose  to  108°  in  children  and  107°  in 
adults;  but  105°  is  regarded  as  almost  certain 
death,  and  104°  as  extremely  dangerous.  Rav- 
ing yellow  fever  patients  are  said  to  rarely  go 
above  105°.  The  President’s  temperature  has 
been  as  low  as  98.9°,  only  four-tenths  of  a degree 
above  normal.  On  the  12th  it  reached  102.8°. 
The  surgeons  ascribed  this  unusual  rise — it  had 
not  been  going  above  ioi°,  and  fractions — to  ex- 
citement of  the  patient,  produced  by  the  hammer- 
ing and  other  noises  and  stir  necessary  to  the  intro- 


638 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


duction  of  the  pipes  for  compressed  air.  In  cases 
of  cholera,  the  temperature  of  the  body  has  been 
known  to  fall  to  770  ; but  the  icy  hand  of  death 
already  had  hold  of  the  patient.  The  President’s 
respiration  varied  from  19  to  24.  In  health,  and 
when  entirely  free  from  any  exciting  influence,  the 
natural  respiration  (number  of  breathings  per 
minute)  of  an  adult  is  from  14  to  18,  but,  in  cases 
of  sickness  and  wounds,  it  has  been  recorded  as 
low  as  7 and  as  high  as  100  per  minute. 

The  story  of  the  bulletins  through  these  thir- 
teen days  is  further  elaborated  from  their  text. 
The  most  important  question  presented  the  doc- 
tors, was,  Where  was  the  ball  ? Surgeon-General 
Wales,  of  the  Navy,  after  an  examination  on 
Saturday  evening,  located  it  as  lodged  in  the  ab- 
dominal cavity.  Drs.  Hamilton  and  Agnew  con- 
curred in  this  opinion.  On  Sunday,  the  appear- 
ance of  tympanites  gave  rise  to  alarm.  Tym- 
panites is  a swelling  of  the  abdomen,  like  a drum 
(tympan),  from  an  accumulation  of  air  or  gases 
in  the  intestinal  tube  or  in  the  peritoneum.  It 
happily  disappeared  before  it  developed  to  any 
very  serious  extent.  The  President,  from  the 
first,  complained  of  pains  in  his  feet  and  ankles, 
which  Dr.  Agmew  ascribed  to  the  laceration  of  the 
liver  and  severing  of  certain  nerves  thrown  out 
from  the  spinal  column.  On  the  evening  of  the 
4th,  the  tympanites  was  again  more  noticeable, 
while  the  pains  in  the  feet  had  been  alleviated. 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


639 


During  that  day,  there  was  some  slight  vomiting, 
but  it  ceased  by  midnight.  Milk  and  lime-water 
was  given  in  small  quantities,  from  Saturday  till 
Monday  afternoon,  when  a little  chicken  broth 
was  administered.  The  intestinal  functions  were  v 
normally  performed,  and  there  was  no  attempt 
made  to  force  food  upon  the  patient,  in  order  that 
the  pelvic  organs  might  be  as  little  disturbed  as 
possible.  Brandy  and  cracked  ice  were  adminis- 
tered on  Saturday  in  small  quantities,  but  it  was 
found  that  the  patient  could  not  retain  it.  On 
Sunday  night,  a glass  of  champagne  was  given, 
with  excellent  effect.  On  Monday,  it  was  decided 
to  give  as  little  as  possible  of  anything.  On 
Tuesday,  the  patient  was  able  to  retain  an  ounce 
and  a half  of  chicken  broth  every  two  hours.  The 
wound  was  dressed  again,  as  it  had  been  each  day, 
antiseptically.  It  took  only  half  a grain  of  mor- 
phia to  induce  the  necessary  sleep. 

The  bulletins  of  July  7th,  noted  the  continuation 
of  the  favorable  symptoms.  The  night  before,  a 
quarter  of  a grain  of  morphia  sulphate  was  ad- 
ministered. That  morning  oat-meal  gruel  and 
milk  were  taken,  at  intervals  of  two  hours,  with  ap- 
parent relish.  The  slight  yellowishness  of  the 
skin,  indicating  a wound  in  the  liver,  which  ap- 
peared the  night  before,  had  disappeared.  The. 
bulletin  of  July  8th,  stated  that  during  the  after- 
noon and  evening  of  the  day  before,  the  President 
was  troubled  with  acid  eructations,  and  the 


640 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


administration  of  nutrients  was  suspended  for 
several  hours.  One  quarter  of  a grain  of  mor- 
phine was  administered  hypodermically  at  8.30  P. 
M.,  and  followed  at  once  by  tranquil  sleep.  To- 
ward midnight,  however,  restlessness  was  notice- 
able, and  a good  deal  of  muscular  soreness  in  the 
feet  and  of  pain  in  the  ankle  joints.  After  1 o’clock 
A.  M.,  the  patient  passed  the  night  tranquilly, 
sleeping  composedly  most  of  the  time.  At  intervals 
after  that  hour  he ‘took  an  ounce  of  albumen 
chicken  broth,  alternating  with  an  ounce  of  milk, 
to  which  a teaspoonful  of  very  old  and  excellent 
rum  was  added.  All  this  was  retained,  as  well  as 
five  grains  of  sulphate  of  quinia,  taken  the  next 
morning  at  8 o’clock.  The  yellowish  tinge  of  the 
skin  had  sensibly  diminished.  When  the  antisep- 
tic dressing  was  renewed  that  morning  the  wound 
was  found  to  be  discharging  a small  quantity  of  a 
healthy  looking  pus.  The  reaction  accompanying 
the  establishment  of  suppuration  was,  as  might  be 
expected,  marked  by  a slight  rise  of  temperature 
and  pulse  as  compared  with  the  corresponding 
hours  of  the  clay  before.  This,  however,  was  not 
regarded  as  unfavorable  under  the  circumstances. 

That  night  the  patient  became  restless,  and 
seemed  anxious  for  the  morphia.  A quarter  of  a 
grain  was  administered  under  the  skin.  The  next 
morning,  the  9th,  he  took  10  grains  of  sulphate  of 
quinia,  which  did  not  disturb  the  stomach.  This 
thereafter  was  about  the  usual  course,  a little 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


64I 


morphia  at  night,  and  quinine  in  the  morning ; 
dressing  the  wound  antiseptically,  the  pus  dis- 
charging itself  through  a small  drain-pipe  inserted 
in  the  wound  to  the  depth  of  three  and  a half 
1 inches.  Rum  and  milk  with  a little  milk  toast  was 
the  general  diet.  On  the  13th,  he  had  for  break- 
fast the  breast  of  a woodcock,  which  he  chewed, 
but  did  not  swallow.  On  the  14th,  there  was  a 
decided  improvement  in  the  appetite,  and  in  ad- 
dition to  the  diet  just  mentioned,  he  was  given  a 
small  sandwich  made  of  bread  and  scraped  raw 
beef,  a small  quantity  of  beef  juice,  with  an  ounce 
of  Tokay  wine,  all  of  which  he  appeared  to  relish. 
The  effect  of  this  increase  in  the  quantity  and 
variety  of  the  food  was  plainly  visible  in  the  addi- 
tional strength  exhibited  soon  after  partaking  of  it, 
as  the  digestive  organs  continued  to  perform  their 
functions  in  a healthy  manner.  On  the  15th,  the 
improvement  was  so  marked,  that  although  the 
consulting  surgeons  did  not  say  so,  it  was  believed 
that  the  patient  was  convalescing.  The  craving  for 
food  was  quite  marked  on  that  day,  and  a beef- 
steak asked  for,  which  was  naturally  refused. 
The  condition  of  the  wound  was  now  very  favor- 
able, and  it  was  evident  that  it  was  healing  rapidly, 
the  ball  being  lodged  in  the  abdominal  wall.  It 
could  be  removed  by  an  operation,  or  it  might  be 
inclosed  in  a sack  of  membrane  and  stay  in  the 
system  without  producing  the  least  deleterious 
effect  during  the  remainder  of  the  President’s  life. 


642 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


On  the  23d,  came  a relapse.  That  morning-, 
about  7 o’clock,  the  President  was  taken  with  a 
severe  chill  while  the  physicians  were  examining 
and  dressing  his  wounds.  They  detected  a tre- 
mor before  he  complained,  and  instantly  re- 
placed the  bandages.  The  patient  clenched  his 
hands,  and  his  face  became  white.  He  looked 
anxiously  at  the  physicians,  but  said  nothing. 
Slight  contractions  of  the  muscles  then  appeared 
and  later  on  his  jaws  moved  convulsively.  Pres- 
ently the  muscles  softened,  and  he  breathed  heavily. 
The  chill  seemed  to  have  passed  away,  but  in  less 
than  a minute  he  was  again  suffering.  The  same 
symptoms  appeared  as  during  the  first  attack,  but 
remaining  longer.  After  another  interval  of  re- 
lief, they  appeared  for  the  third  time.  The  three 
spasms  lasted  twelve  minutes.  Morphia  was  then 
administered,  and  the  President  became  quiet,  but 
for  more  than  an  hour  afterward  he  was  restless, 
in  some  pain,  and  in  constant  apprehension  of 
another  chill.  It  thus  happened  that  it  was  10 
o’clock  before  the  physicians  felt  justified  in  re- 
moving the  bandages  to  complete  the  examination. 
The  result  was  that  the  President’s  condition 
changed  from  pulse  92,  temperature  and  respira- 
tion normal,  at  7 o’clock,  to  pulse  1 10,  temperature 
101,  and  respiration  24  at  10  o’clock.  This  changeL 
thoroughly  alarmed  the  physicians.  They  had 
said,  during  the  earlier  days  of  the  President’s  con- 
finement, that  his  safety  depended  largely  upon 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


643 


the  prevention  of  a chill,  and  that  in  case  of  a chill 
there  would  be  little  hope  for  him.  Of  late,  while 
not  positively  declaring-  him  out  of  danger,  they 
have  given  it  to  be  understood  that  recovery  was 
practically  assured.  The  appearance  of  a chill 
at  this  time  was,  therefore,  wholly  unexpected. 
Their  first  thought  was  that  the  indication  pointed 
to  a fatal  termination,  and  dispatches  were  at  once 
sent  to  Drs.  Hamilton  and  Agnew,  the  consulting 
physicians,  urging  their  immediate  attendance. 
This  was  at  9 o’clock,  when  the  pulse  leaped  to 
130.  It  subsided  rapidly  during  the  next  hour. 
Between  10  and  11  o’clock,  however,  fever  set  in 
strongly,  and  there  was  a second  chill  at  1 1 o’clock. 
Nothing  having,  up  to  that  time,  been  heard  from 
the  consulting  surgeons,  a second  dispatch  was 
sent  to  them,  and  replies  were  received  early  in 
the  afternoon.  The  pulse  took  an  upward  turn, 
and  by  1 o’clock  a partial  examination  showed  a 
pulse  of  125,  and  a temperature  at  104,  or  five 
and  a half  degrees  above  normal.  The  tempera- 
ture had  reached  so  high  a point  but  once  before 
since  the  shooting.  At  this  time,  under  an  in- 
creased dose  of  morphia,  the  President  fell  asleep. 
Thereafter  during  the  afternoon  he  slept  fitfully. 
The  pulse  had  fallen  to  106  at  3 o’clock,  and  to  100 
shortly  before  4 o’clock.  During  the  night  the 
President  rested  well  up  to  midnight,  under  the 
temporary  relief  afforded  by  the  resumption  of  the 
discharge  from  the  wound,  and  the  increased  hyp- 


644 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


node  administered.  The  recurrence  of  a slight 

o 

chill  at  midnight,  however,  showed  that  the  diffi- 
culty was  not  all  removed. 

As  soon  as  it  was  possible  next  morning,  an 
examination  by  the  six  surgeons  was  had.  This 
showed  that  a pus  cavity  had  formed  in  the  track 
of  the  ball,  near  and  beyond  the  point  where  it 
glanced  from  the  rib,  and  that  this  cavity  could  be 
reached  by  a direct  incision  three  inches  below 
the  mouth  of  the  wound.  It  was  decided  at  once 
to  perform  the  operation.  No  anesthetics  were 
used,  but  the  part  to  be  operated  upon  was  be- 
numbed by  a spray  of  ether,  and  a wide  cut 
was  made  into  the  pus  cavity,  which  was  reached 
at  a depth  of  little  more  than  an  inch.  With  the 
aid  of  a probe  and  a pair  of  forceps,  a drainage- 
tube,  which  is  a small  flexible  tube  of  rubber,  per- 
forated with  holes,  was  then  introduced  into  the 
wound  made  by  the  ball,  and,  after  being  carried 
through  the  pus  cavity,  was  brought  out  through 
the  newly-made  incision.  One  end  of  the  tube 
then  projected  from  the  cut  made  by  the  surgeon’s 
knife  and  the  other  from  the  mouth  of  the  origi- 
nal wound.  As  the  pus  oozed  into  the  tube 
through  the  perforation,  it  could  escape  from 
either  end,  and  was  repeatedly  washed  out  with  a 
weak  solution  of  carbolic  acid  and  water,  which 
was  thrown  through  the  tube  in  a stream.  The 
discharge  which  followed  the  opening  of  the  pus 
cavity  was  entirely  satisfactory  to  the  surgeons, 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


645 


and  was  soon  followed  by  relief  to  the  patient. 
The  operation  was  performed  by  Dr.  Agnew. 
The  formation  of  this  cavity  was  quite  natural, 
when  it  is  remembered  that  the  direction  taken  by 
the  ball  after  it  entered  the  body  was  forward  and 
slightly  downward,  until  it  struck  one  of  the  ribs. 
It  was  thence  deflected  still  further  downward 
and  a little  to  the  right,  so  as  to  make  an  acute 
angle  with  the  line  of  the  back.  In  other  words, 
when  a probe  was  introduced  into  the  wound  to  a 
depth  of  three  or  three ' and  a half  inches,  its  di- 
rection was  such  that  its  inner  end  was  only  about 
an  inch  and  a half  from  the  outside  of  the  body 
at  a point  lower  down.  The  operation  was  most 
successful,  and,  by  the  evening  of  the  25  th,  the 
President  was  again  himself,  though,  of  necessity, 
rather  weak.  The  operation  relieved  him  greatly. 

One  of  the  difficulties  encountered  by  the  phy- 
sicians, was  the  question  of  temperature,  the  in- 
tense heat  of  the  early  days  of  July  threatening 
to  become  a danger.  It  was  decided  to  attempt 
to  lower  the  temperature  of  the  patient’s  room,* 
by  artificial  means.  At  first  a simple  apparatus 
was  attempted,  an  idea  borrowed  from  India.  It 
consisted  in  a number  of  troughs  of  ralvanized 

o o 

iron,  about  ten  inches  in  width  and  fourteen  feet 
in  length,  placed  on  the  floor  along  the  walls  and 
filled  with  water  and  broken  ice.  Over  these 
troughs,  and  corresponding  with  them  in  length, 
were  suspended  sheets  of  flannel,  the  lower  edges 


646 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


of  which  were  immersed  in  the  ice-water  which 
filled  the  troughs.  The  water  was  absorbed  and 
carried  upward  by  capillary  attraction  in  the  flan- 
nel, as  oil  is  in  the  wick  of  a lamp,  until  the  sheets 
were  saturated.  This  cold  water  by  direct  contact 
with  air  and  by  the  rapid  evaporation  which  takes 
place  over  the  extended  surface  of  the  saturated 
flannel,  lowered  the  temperature  of  the  room.  It 
did  not,  however,  produce  sufficiently  good  results, 
and  was  abandoned  in  favor  of  other  methods. 

All  sorts  of  systems  were  proposed  and  brought 
to  Washington.  The  White  House  cellar  was 

o 

turned  into  a machine  shop,  and  exhibited  all  the 
features  of  a machinery  exhibit.  Mr.  Dorsey, 
a skillful  mining  engineer,  was  placed  in  charge 
of  the  plans.  Whereupon  Secretary  Hunt  issued 
the  following  order  addressed  to  Commodore  Pat- 
teson,  commanding  the  Washington  Navy  Yard: 

“You  will  place  under  the  disposal  of  Mr.  Dorsey  every 
article  of  machinery  for  which  he  may  make  application  to 
you  ; you  will  also  assign  to  duty  a skillful  and  efficient 
engineer  and  machinist,  with  such  other  assistants  as  he  may 
require  from  you  ; you  will  obtain  all  necessary  transportation 
of  material  and  men  Mr.  Dorsey  may  require.  They  must  be 
furnished  without  delay,  as  they  are  for  the  use  of  surgeons  at 
the  Executive  Mansion,  and  are  deemed  necessary  to  the 
health  and  comfort  of  the  President  during  his  present  critical 
illness.” 

Mr.  Dorsey’s  plan  was  based  on  the  system 
used  to  cool  the  air  in  mines.  The  air  is  com- 
pressed by  means  of  a stationary  engine.  Thi. 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


647 

air,  when  crowded  into  smaller  space,  gives  out  a 
great  amount  of  heat,  which  is  carried  away  by 
running-  water.  As  soon  as  the  air  is  again  set 
free,  it  becomes  refrigerated  by  expansion,  just  in 
proportion  as  it  has  before  been  heated  by  com- 
pression. The  system  worked  very  successfully, 
and  by  its  means  the  temperature  of  the  room 
was  kept  at  750  to  76°. 

It  was  not  to  be  supposed  that  the  country  at 
large  would  allow  the  doctors  in  charge  to  conduct 
their  case  unmolested.  The  opportunity  was 
too  mao-nificent  for  the  American  letter-writer 

o 

to  forego.  Said  one  of  these  gentlemen  : 
“ Among  the  valuable  contributions  we  have 
received  is  an  electrical  probe,  from  Boston,  very 
flexible,  and  the  insertion  of  which  will  show  the 
track  of  the  wound,  completing  the  circuit  when  it 
comes  in  contact  with  the  ball.  From  Brooklyn  a 
surgeon  has  sent  a pair  of  bullet  forceps  of  the 
latest  improved  pattern.  From  Milwaukee  we 
have  received  the  finest  lot  of  antiseptic  dressing 
that  could  be  found  in  the  United  States,  and 
which  is  in  constant  use  in  the  dressing  of  the 
wound.  Besides,  the  drainage  tubes,  used  in 
drawing  the  pus  from  the  wound,  are  the  contri- 
butions of  the  same  firm.  Rare  wines,  old  wines, 
valuable  suggestions  from  eminent  surgeons,  and 
advice  that  is  worthless,  and  which  comes  by  the 
cubic  foot  from  every  part  of  the  country,  are 
among  the  daily  receipts.  Most  of  the  remedies 


648 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


recommended  are  what  are  known  as  ‘ old 
women’s  ’ remedies.  One  man  gdves  this  satre 
advice  : ‘ If  inflammation  sets,  apply  hot  towels  as 
hot  as  they  can  be  borne.’  Another  man  sends 
an  instruction  that,  if  followed,  will  result  in  a 
certain  cure.  He  sends  with  it  a group  picture 
of  his  entire  family,  eight  in  all,  ‘ who  prhy  day 
and  night  for  the  President’s  recovery.’  ” 

The  cure  was  very  largely  assisted  by  the 
President  himself.  With  a noble  will-power  and 
a splendid  courage  he  fought  disease  for  every 
minute,  and  defied  Death  to  win.  All  the  while 
he  was  cheerful  to  every  one.  One  day,  on 
awakening  from  one  of  his  short  naps,  he  was 
given  two  ounces  of  chicken  broth.  After  he  had 
eaten  it,  Mr.  Crump,  the  White  House  steward, 
took  the  bowl  away,  and,  seating  himself  by  the 
bed,  began  to  fan  him  vigorously.  The  President 
at  this  time  was  thirsting  for  water,  and,  after 
looking  at  Mr.  Crump  quizzically  for  a few 
moments,  he  said : “ Crump,  after  the  chicken 
broth  what  comes  ?”  The  steward  made  no  answer, 
apparently  forgetting  for  the  moment  that  the 
President  was  accustomed  to  drink  after  eating. 
After  a brief  silence,  General  Garfield  said,  inter- 
rogatively: “ Medicine  water  ?”  Crump  took  the 
hint,  and  gave  him  a sip  of  water,  and  after 
drinking  it  the  President  gratified  the  steward  by 
clapping  his  hands  in  applause.  Saturday  morning, 
the  9th,  Dr.  Boynton,  his  old  family  physician, 


-JAMES  A.  GARFIELD.  g 

went  in  to  see  him.  The  President,  with  a smile, 
said  to  him  : 

“ Boynton,  I am  glad  you  are  here  yet.  What 
do  you  think  of  my  chances  to-day  ?” 

“ Oh,  I think  you  are  getting  along  very  nicely 
indeed,  Mr.  President.  Everything  seems  favor- 
able for  your  recover)".” 

“ I will  recover,  Boynton ; but  I’ve  had  a terrible 
struggle  with  prostration  for  several  days.” 

“ But  you  seem  to  have  conquered.” 

“ Do  you  think  so  ?” 

And  then  glancing  up  at  the  clock,  whose  hands 
pointed  to  9 o’clock,  said : “ In  fifteen  minutes  it 
will  be  a week — a long  week,  Boynton.” 

His  eyes  closed,  and  then  he  said : “ Boynton, 
have  you  any  idea  where  that  ball  is  ?” 

I told  him  I thought  it  was  lodqed  in  the  interior 
wall  of  the  abdomen,  and  he  said  he  thought  so 
too,  and  added : “ It  is  lucky  it  struck  the  ribs.  If 
this  wound  can  be  kept  open  I will  get  well.” 

When  first  wounded,  his  thought  was  of  his 
loved  wife  and  little  ones,  and  how  to  spare  them 
pain.  I have  related  elsewhere  how  he  sent  a 
dispatch  to  his  wife  in  the  earliest  minutes  of 
his  trial.  After  her,  his  mother’s  anxiety  was 
uppermost  in  his  mind,  and,  by  his  direction,  care 
was  taken  to  send  the  old  lady  messages  of  cheer 
and  hope.  This  was  done  by  Harry,  the  Presi- 
dent’s eldest  son,  in  the  following  telegram : 


650 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


“Executive  Mansion,  Washington,  D.  C., 

“ July  2d,  i88x. 

“ To  Mrs.  Eliza  Garfield,  So  loti,  Ohio  : 

“ Don’t  be  alarmed  by  sensational  rumors;  doctor  thinks 
it  will  not  be  fatal.  Don’t  think  of  coming  until  you  hear 
further.  Harry  A.  Garfield.” 

When  those  good,  kind-hearted  women,  Mrs. 
James,  Mrs.  Hunt,  and  others,  sat  up  during  the 
long  watches  of  Saturday  night,  when  all  was 
gloom,  and  not  one  bright  ray  of  hope  appeared, 
and  when  he  was  told  he  had  only  a single  chance 
of  life,  he  repeated  that  he  was  not  afraid  to  die. 
During  this  time,  there  was,  on  his  part,  the  most 
tender  consideration  for  others.  He  moved  his 
arm,  while  in  a paroxysm  of  pain,  and  just  touched 
a little  rudely  one  of  his  kind-hearted  watchers. 
Instantly  he  lost  all  feeling  for  himself,  and  his 
lips  parted  with  a heart-felt  apology  for  having 
been  guilty  of  brusqueness  toward  the  lady  who 
had  not  even  given  the  circumstance  a thought, 
and  would  not  have  done  so  had  it  not  been  for 
the  innate  manliness  of  the  one  who  lay  on  his 
bed  of  pain.  His  demeanor  toward  his  noble- 
hearted  wife  was  chivalrous  in  its  best  sense.  He 
ever  sought  her  ease  and  welfare,  and  to  keep  her 
from  anxiety  and  suspense.  When  she  first  en- 
tered his  room,  he  met  her  with  a smiling  face ; 
and  he  had  a smile  and  a word  of  cheer  always 
afterward,  even  though  his  sufferings  were  at 
times  very  great. 

Next  to  the  good  effect  of  his  own  spirits  as  a 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


65t 

curative  agent,  must  be  placed  the  invincible  faith 
and  devotion  of  his  wife.  Her  cheerful,  hopeful 
demeanor  did  much  to  free  from  care  her  hus- 
band's mind.  She  had  just  risen  from  a bed  of 
sickness,  and  he  was  afraid  that  she  would  have  a 
relapse.  She,  poor  woman,  knowing  his  fear, 
steeled  herself  by  a mighty  effort.  Conquering 
everything,  she  took  up  her  new  burden  with  the 
strength  of  a devoted  heart,  and  carried  it  with 
the  bravery  of  a martyr.  To  no  one  did  she 
complain ; to  no  one  did  her  husband  say  a 
word  of  aught  except  kindness.  They  were  a 
model  husband  and  wife,  under  circumstances 
most  trying  to  their  natures.  Each  brought  solace 
to  the  other ; and  the  wife  ministered  at  the  bed- 
side of  her  liege  with  an  intelligence  none  the  less 
powerful  and  efficient  than  the  love  she  showed. 
The  few  persons  who  were  admitted  to  the  cham- 
ber of  pain — the  doctors,  the  watchers  and  the 
nearest  of  kin — bore  unconscious  testimony  to 
the  conduct  of  the  first  gentleman  and  first  lady 
of  the  land.  W ords  were  let  drop,  kind  expres- 
sions were  repeated,  and  bit  by  bit  came  out  the 
heart-history  of  the  loving  pair.  Such  stories 
spread.  All  were  only  too  willing  to  help  em- 
balm in  the  memory  of  friends  the  ministry  of 
love  and  gentleness,  of  kindness  and  of  devotion 
which  the  national  Executive  Mansion  disclosed. 
People  took  the  stories  to  heart,  and  they 
fashioned  inwardly  portraits  of  the  President, 


<5~2  LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 

which  clid  no  injustice  to  the  kindest  and  best  of 
men  the  earth  ever  saw.  There  was  a hero  wor- 
ship that  was  carried  out  to  a surprising-  extent ; 
but  the  people  knew  and  felt  there  was  a good 
basis  for  much  of  what  they  believed,  and  the 
glamour  of  devotion  added  bright  and  attractive 
colors  to  the  picture,  and  gave  it  a frame  of  affection. 

One  more  glimpse  of  Mrs.  Garfield  to  close  the 
chapter.  The  New  York  Chamber  of  Commerce 
inaugurated,  as  the  reader  knows,  a subscription 
of  $250,000  for  Mrs.  Garfield,  and  after  her,  her 
children.  When  the  announcement  was  made  to 
her,  she  said,  in  a voice  tremulous  with  emotion  : 
“ If  it  were  only  possible,”  she  said,  “ for  my  hus- 
band and  me  to  go  around  ancf  see  all  those  dear 
people  who  have  been  so  grateful  in  their  remem- 
brance for  us  here  of  late  days,  I would  be  so 
happy;  and  I know  he  would,  too.  I want  to  thank 
them — to  tell  them  all  how  kindly  I feel  toward 
them  for  what  they  have  said  to  me.  I never 
could  understand  anything  about  politics,  and  if  I 
liked  a person,  it  made  no  difference  whether  they 
were  Republicans  or  Democrats  ; and  now  I have 
grown  to  think  that  there  is  not  much  difference 
between  the  two  great  parties,  for  one  says  just 
as  kind  words  in  our  present  affliction  as  the 
other.  It  makes  me  feel  like  forming  an  opinion 
as  to  what  I would  do  were  women  permitted  to 
vote  as  well  as  men.  1 believe  I would  get  two 
tickets,  fold  them  together  so  as  to  look  like  one, 
and  drop  both  in  the  ballot-box.’5 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


653 


CHAPTER  XLI. 

% 

THE  WORLD  WITHOUT. 

AFTER  the  first  moments  of  amazement, 
incredulity,  horror  and  suspense,  the  peo- 
ple— the  world — offered  condolence.  The 
emotion  and  spectacle  were  without  parallel. 
In  every  household  there  was  • a hushed  and 
tender  silence,  as  if  one  long  loved  lay  dying. 
The  public  festivities  of  the  Nation’s  birthday 
were  stayed,  and  the  crowds  that  had  gathered  to 
form  festivals  were  transformed  into  praying  con- 
gregations, earnestly  petitioning  the  Throne  of 
Grace  for  mercy  for  the  President.  Abroad, 
American  gayety  was  given  over.  In  the 
British  Parliament,  Whig,  and  Tory,  and  Radi- 
cal listened  to  catch  from  the  lips  of  the  Prime 
Minister,  the  latest  tidings  from  the  sufferer. 
From  the  French  republic,  from  the  old  empire  of 
Japan  and  the  new  kingdom  of  Bulgaria,  from 
Parnell,  the  Irish  agitator,  and  from  the  Lord 
Mayor  of  Dublin,  came  messages  of  sympathy  and 
sorrow.  Sovereigns  and  princes,  the  people  and 
the  nobles,  joined  in  earnest  hope  for  the  life  of 
the  Republican  President.  The  press  of  all  Chris- 
tendom told  the  mournful  story,  and  moralized 


654 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


as  it  told.  At  home  the  popular  grief  was  al> 
solutely  unanimous.  One  tender,  overpowering 
thought  called  a truce  even  to  party  contention. 
Old  and  young,  men  and  women  of  all  national^ 
ties  and  of  all  preferences,  their  differences  for- 
gotten, waited  all  day  for  news,  watched  the  flags 
and  every  sign  that  might  be  significant,  and  lay 
down  to  sleep,  thanking  God  that  as  yet  the  worst 
had  not  come. 

It  was  a marvelous  spectacle.  It  was — this 
feeling  of  millions  for  that  one  man — profoundly 
touching.  It  blessed  him  with  great  distinction 
among  mankind.  It  blessed  the  country  in  that  it 
stirred  the  people  with  a great  overmastering 
emotion.  I have  not  space  to  chronicle  all  the 
words  of  sympathy  that  went  on  the  wings  of  the 
wires  to  Washington.  They  would  fill  several 
volumes  as  large  as  this.  In  London,  the  shooting 
of  the  President  excited  the  profoundest  sensation 
of  consternation  and  grief  among  the  American 
residents.  The  greatest  anxiety  was  everywhere 
manifested  to  hear  further  news.  The  offices  of 
newspapers  and  news  agencies  were  visited  by 
crowds  to  gain  information.  Crowds  gathered  at 
the  American  Exchange  in  the  Strand.  As  the 
news  spread  among  the  theatres  and  other  places 
of  resort,  the  Americans  left  the  buildings,  and 
many  ladies  and  gentlemen,  in  evening  dresses, 
went  direct  to  the  American  Exchange  for  the 
latest  details.  There  were  numerous  callers  at 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


655 


United  States  Minister  Lowell’s  private  residence, 
to  inquire  concerning  the  President.  Earl  Gran- 
ville, Foreign  Secretary,  received  a telegram  from 
the  British  Legation  at  Washington,  announcing 
the  sad  affair,  and  he  at  once  cabled  his  condolences. 
The  Queen,  who  was  at  Windsor  Castle,  imme- 
diately, on  receipt  of  the  news,  personally  tele- 
graphed to  Minister  Lowell  a message  expressing 
deep  regret  and  concern.  The  Town  Councils  of 
many  inland  towns  passed  resolutions  of  sympathy. 
In  the  British  Parliament  allusions  were  made  to 
the  affair  amidst  profound  silence  and  regret.  The 
Poet  Laureate  telegraphed  his  condolences.  The 
members  of  the  Royal  Family  sent  to  our  Minister 
to  know  all  he  knew.  The  Cobden  Club  for- 
warded a letter  to  Mrs.  Garfield,  expressing  the 
earnest  wish  for  the  President’s  early  recovery. 
Prayers  were  ordered  daily  in  W estminster  Abbey. 
The  Lord  Mayor  of  London  telegraphed  his  con- 
dolences. Mr.  Gladstone  sent  the  following  letter 
to  Mrs.  Garfield  : 

“London,  July  21st,  1881. 

“Dear  Madam:  You  will,  I am  sure,  excuse  me,  though  a 
personal  stranger,  for  addressing  you  by  letter  to  convey  to 
you  the  assurance  of  my  own  feelings  and  those  of  my  country- 
men, on  the  occasion  of  the  late  horrible  attempt  to  murder 
the  President  of  the  United  States,  in  a form  more  palpable, 
at  least,  than  that  of  messages  conveyed  by  telegraph.  Those 
feelings  have  been  feelings,  in  the  first  instance,  of  sympathy, 
and  afterward  of  joy  and  thankfulness  almost  comparable, 
and,  I venture  to  say,  only  second  to  the  strong  emotions  of 


656 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


the  great  nation  of  which  he  is  the  appointed  head.  Individ- 
ually, I have,  let  me  beg  you  to  believe,  had  my  full  share  in 
the  sentiments  which  have  possessed  the  British  nation.  They 
have  been  prompted  and  quickened  largely  by  what,  I venture 
to  think,  is  the  ever-growing  sense  of  harmony  and  mutual 
respect  and  affection  between  the  countries,  and  of  a relation- 
ship which,  from  year  to  year,  becomes  more  and  more  a 
practical  bond  of  union  between  us ; but  they  have  also 
drawn  much  of  their  strength  from  a cordial  admiration  of 
the  simple  heroism  which  has  marked  the  personal  conduct  of 
the  President,  for  we  have  not  yet  wholly  lost  the  capacity  of 
appreciating  such  an  example  of  Christian  faith  and  manly 
fortitude.  This  exemplary  picture  has  been  made  complete 
by  your  own  contribution  to  its  noble  and  touching  features, 
on  which  I only  forbear  to  dwell  because  I am  directly 
addressing  you.  I beg  to  have  my  respectful  compliments 
and  congratulations  conveyed  to  the  President,  and  to  remain, 
dear  madam,  with  great  esteem, 

“Your  most  faithful  servant, 

“ W.  E.  Gladstone.” 

To  this  Secretary  Blaine  replied  by  cable  : 

“Washington,  July  22d,  1881. 

“Lowell,  Minister,  London:  I have  laid  before  Mrs. 
Garfield  the  note  of  Mr.  Gladstone,  just  received  by  cable. 
I am  requested  by  her  to  say  that  among  the  many  thousand 
manifestations  of  interest  and  expressions  of  sympathy  which 
have  reached  her,  none  had  more  deeply  touched  her  than 
the  kind  words  of  Mr.  Gladstone.  His  own  solicitude  and 
condolence  are  received  with  gratitude.  But  far  beyond  this 
she  recognized  that  Mr.  Gladstone  rightfully  speaks  for  the 
people  of  the  British  Isles,  whose  sympathy  in  this  national 
and  personal  affliction  has  been  as  quick  and  as  sincere  as  that 
of  her  own  countrymen.  Her  chief  pleasure  in  Mr.  Glad- 
stone’s cordial  letter  is  found  in  the  comfort  which  it  brings 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 

to  her  husband.  The  President  is  cheered  and  pleased  on 
his  painful  and  weary  way  to  health  by  the  many  messages  of 
sympathy  which,  in  his  returning  strength,  he  safely  receives 
and  most  gratefully  appreciates. 

“Blaine,  Secretary.” 

On  the  Continent,  the  head  of  every  country 
hastened  to  offer  sympathy.  The  Emperors  of 
Russia,  Austria,  Germany  ; the  Kings  of  Sweden 
and  Norway,  Denmark,  Belgium,  Portugal,  Italy, 
and  Spain  ; the  Sultan  of  Turkey  ; the  Presidents 
of  France  and  Switzerland,  hundreds  of  statesmen 
and  distinguished  men,  sent,  through  various 
channels  to  Washington,  kind  words  and  wishes 
from  sympathetic  hearts. 

At  home,  the  universal  expression  of  sympathy 
found  appropriate  channels  in  the  governors  of 
states,  mayors  of  cities,  legislatures,  boards  of 
trade,  clubs,  associations,  and  conventions  of  every 
description,  grand  juries,  churches,  etc.,  etc.  The 
South  particularly  manifested  a most  noble 
sympathy.  Governor  R.  W.  Cobb,  of  Alabama, 
telegraphed  : 

“Reports  of  the  favorable  indications  gladden  the  hearts 
of  Alabamans,  who  profoundly  sympathize  with  the  President 
and  his  family,  and  bitterly  denounce  the  cowardly  and 
brutal  attempt  on  his  life.  The  great  peril  through  which  he 
is  passing  draws  all  men  to  him,  and  he  will  resume  his  duties 
with  a more  generous  and  patriotic  support  from  the  people 
of  the  whole  country.” 

Congressman  E.  W.  Robertson  telegraphed 
from  Baton  Rouge,  Louisiana : 


65S 


LIFE  AhD  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


“ The  heartfelt,  outspoken  sorrow  of  our  people  at  the  late 
dastardly  attempt  upon  the  life  of  the  President,  prompts  me 
to  express  their  prayerful  hopes  for  his  speedy  recovery.” 

Jefferson  Davis  wrote  the  following  letter: 

“Beauvoir,  Miss.,  July  5th,  1S81. 

“Mr.  Findley  S.  Collins — Dear  Sir:  I have  received 
yours  of  the  4th  inst.,  and  thank  you  for  the  kind  expressions 
it  contained.  The  evil  influences  to  which  you  refer  as 
causing  the  bitterness  felt  toward  Southern  men,  it  may 
fairly  be  expected,  will  give  way  to  the  sober  sense  of  the 
people,  if  they  shall,  like  yourself,  detect  the  sordid  motives 
for  which  the  stimulants  are  administered.  I well  like  the 
telegram  you  cite  in  regard  to  the  attempted  assassination  of 
the  President.  I am  thankful  the  assassin  was  not  a Southern 
man,  but  will  say  I regret  that  an  American  crime,  black 
enough  in  itself,  has  a deeper  dye  from  the  mercenary  motive 
which  seems  to  have  prompted  it.  I sincerely  trust  the 
President  may  recover,  and  that  the  startling  event  will 
arouse  the  people  to  the  consideration  of  a remedy  for  the 
demoralization  which  a wild  hunt  after  office  is  creating. 
With  best  wishes  for  your  welfare,  I am,  very  truly  yours, 

“ Jefferson  Davis.” 

The  Commander-in-Chief  of  the  Grand  Army 
of  the  Republic  promulgated  the  following  order  : 

“ Head-quarters  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic, 
“Boston,  July  7th,  1881. 

“[General  Order,  No.  42.] 

“Awaiting  the  fateful  issue  which  hangs  like  a pall  over 
our  land,  grateful  for  the  glimpse  of  sunshine  through  the 
dark  cloud,  the  soldiers  of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic 
tender  their  old  comrade  in  arms,  the  stricken  President,  their 
sympathy  and  love.  What  lies  behind  the  veil  cf  the  future 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


659 


we  may  not  seek  to  know ; but  remembering  that  the  same 
Almighty  which  guided  us  to  victory  is  beside  our  fallen 
comrade,  let  us  cast  out  all  our  fears  and  send  to  the  throne 
of  grace,  not  a cry  of  despair,  but  a prayer  of  hope  and  faith 
in  the  Divine  wisdom  and  love. 

(Signed), 

“ Geo.  S.  Merrill,  Commander-in-Chief. 

“ William  M.  Olin,  Adjutant-General.” 

The  bench  took  notice  of  the  national  calamity. 
Said  Judge  Ludlow,  of  Philadelphia,  in  charging 
the  Grand  Jury  for  the  July  Term  : 

“We  meet  to-day  under  adverse  circumstances;  we  are 
under  the  shadow  of  a great  cloud,  and  our  hearts  beat  with 
alternate  hope  and  fear ; we  do  not  yet  know  what  the  end  will 
be,  but  this  we  all  understand,  that  law  and  order  must  pre- 
vail; that  the  constituted  authorities  must  be  respected  and 
sustained,  and  woe  betide  the  man  who  dares  to  raise  even  so 
much  as  his  little  finger  against  the  integrity  of  the  Republic  or 
against  the  life  or  lives  of  its  lawfully  elected  officers.  I care 
not  what  may  be  your  politics,  faith  or  religious  feelings.  I 
know  this,  that  as  Americans,  you  represent  not  only  the  citi- 
zens of  this  country,  but,  in  a sense,  Americans  everywhere 
all  over  this  land,  and  you  will  join  with  me  in  as  severe  a 
condemnation  of  this  anti-American  crime  as  can  be  uttered 
in  human  language,  and  in  a devout  prayer  to  the  Almighty 
that  the  life  of  the  legally  elected  and  inaugurated  President 
of  the  United  States  may  be  spared  to  the  nation  and  to  his 
family.  ’ ’ 

The  church  was  equally  as  ready.  Prayers 
were  offered  in  every  pulpit  in  the  land.  Special 
services  were  held,  imploring  the  Almighty  to 
spare  the  President’s  life. 


66  o 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


The  Archbishop  of  Baltimore,  the  Most  Rev. 
James  Gibbons,  issued  the  following  to  his  clergy: 

“ Rev.  and  Dear  Sir. — You,  in  common  with  all  others, 
have  heard  with  amazement  and  horror  of  the  late  attempted 
assassination  of  His  Excellency,  the  President  of  the  United 
States.  It  is  scarcely  possible  to  imagine  a deed  more  appall- 
ing to  men  or  more  iniquitous  before  God  ; for  if  it  is  such  a 
crime  to  slay  even  a private  citizen,  what  an  enormity  is  it  to 
attempt  the  death  of  one  who,  while  representing  the  whole 
nation,  is  also,  as  to  matters  temporal,  the  highest  vicegerent 
of  God  Himself  in  the  land ; and  the  act  of  the  assassin  is 
the  more  heinous,  since  he  had  neither  a private  grievance  to 
avenge  nor  the  semblance  of  a public  wrong  to  redress.  And 
our  detestation  of  the  wretch  who  has  stricken  down  our  head 
is  yet  more  increased  when  we  add  to  the  official  dignity  of 
the  sufferer  his  accessibility  and  affability  to  all,  and  his  com- 
mitting, like  all  his  predecessors,  his  personal  safety  entirely 
to  the  good-will  and  good  sense  of  those  over  whom  he  pre- 
sides. Well  may  we  stand  aghast  when,  in  this  crime  and  in 
another  like  crime  perpetrated  a few  months  ago,  we  see  the 
mischief  of  which  a single  individual  is  capable  when  he  has 
ceased  to  fear  God,  to  value  man  or  to  dread  the  conse- 
quences of  giving  free  scope  to  his  own  passion.  In  the  fact, 
then,  of  this  most  hideous  deed,  we  are  called  upon  to  ex- 
press at  once  our  loathing  of  the  crime  and  our  deep  sympa- 
thy with  him  whom  this  crime  has  placed  in  such  great  suf- 
fering and  such  imminent  peril,  for  while  the  Catholic  Church 
is  happily  above  all  our  parties,  and  is  far  from  the  wish  to  take 
to  herself  the  decision  of  the  very  transient,  and,  as  a rule, 
not  very  momentous  questions  as  to  which  of  these  parties 
are  at  issue,  yet  none  more  than  the  Catholic  Church  incul- 
cates respect  for  every  duly  constituted  authority,  or  more 
reprobates  or  threatens  everything  by  which  such  authority  is 
assailed. 

“You  will,  therefore,  with  all  the  power  at  your  command, 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


661 


urge  our  people  to  pray  during  Mass,  and  at  other  times,  for 
the  recovery  of  His  Excellency,  and  on  Sunday  next,  should 
he  then  still  survive,  you  will  say  in  his  behalf,  before  or  after 
Mass,  and  together  with  all  your  people,  the  Litany  of  the 
Saints,  as  at  once  entreating  God  to  spare  his  life,  and  also 
as  making  an  act  of  expiation  for  a crime  which  appertains 
to  us  as  a nation,  and  not  only  concerns,  but  tarnishes  us  all. 

“Very  faithfully,  your  friend  in  Christ, 

James, 

Archbishop  of  Baltimore. 

In  Kentucky  and  Arkansas  the  14th  of  July 
was  made,  by  proclamation,  a day  of  fasting  and 
prayer  for  the  President’s  recovery.  Governor 
Foster  of  Ohio  telegraphed  the  governor  of  every 
State,  asking  him  to  join  in  a movement  to  hold  a 
day  next  autumn  as  a day  of  National  Thanksgiv- 
ing for  the  President’s  recovery.  Every  governor 
except  Governor  Roberts  of  Texas,  who  is  a 
crank,  answered  gladly.  The  movement  of  sym- 
pathy was  indeed  universal  from  more  than  one 
hundred  millions  of  men.  It  was  to  have  been 
expected,  as  a matter  of  course,  that  those  closely 
identified  with  him  by  long  years  of  personal  and 
political  association,  would,  out  of  the  fullness  of 
their  affection,  mingle  their  tears  with  those  of  his 
kindred ; but  that  so  eager  inquiries  and  tender 
messages  of  sympathy  should  come  from  all  over 
the  world,  is  the  most  welcome  evidence  that  all 
the  world’s  akin.  From  every  nook  and  corner  of 
our  land  were  messages  sent  freighted  with  loving 
regard,  and  even  the  cables,  which  lay  beneath  the 


66  2 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


ocean,  were  kept  busy  night  and  day  transmitting 
the  sympathy  of  the  rulers,  and  princes,  and  peo- 
ples of  all  civilized  nations  of  the  globe. 

Here  we  will  take  a hasty  glance  at  one  of  the 
remarkable  features  in  the  attempt  on  the  life  of 
the  President,  before  continuing  our  direct  narra- 
tive. I refer  to  the  development  of  the  extraor- 
dinary resources  of  the  press  at  Washington.  It 
came  suddenlv  and  without  warning  in  the  middle 
of  the  dull  season.  The  winter  force  of  corre- 
spondents had  dwindled  down  one-half,  and  those 
who  were  left  were  dawdling  away  the  first  hours 
of  the  heated  term  in  a semi-demoralized  con- 
dition. Many  newspapers  had  discharged  their 
specials  for  the  summer  and  were  running  short- 
handed.  Within  twenty  minutes  on  Saturday,  the 
sleepy-looking  reserve  was  thoroughly  awake,  had 
thrown  out  its  pickets,  patrols  and  videttes,  and 
had  begun  the  task  of  gathering  in  the  details  of 
the  great  crime  and  preparing  it  for  the  press, 
Recruits  came  flying  down,  twelve  hours  later, 
from  New  York,  Philadelphia,  Baltimore  and  other 
contiguous  cities,  and  these,  under  the  veterans  of 
the  Row,  did  veterans’  duty.  The  cry  of  the 
home  officers  was  “send  unlimited.”  The  re- 
sponse was  in  accordance  therewith.  Every  news- 
paper man  was  worth  two,  three  or  four  of  ordi- 
nary occasions,  for  he  not  only  developed  twice 
the  energy  but  worked  all  day  and  all  night.  The 
result  was  astonishing,  and  it  is  told  with  mathe- 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


663 


matical  accuracy  by  the  figures  of  the  telegraph 
offices.  On  Saturday,  alone,  275,000  words  were 
wired  from  the  Western  Union  office.  This  was 
the  highest  record  of  newspaper  work  ever  done  at 
the  National  Capital.  On  last  Inauguration  Day, 
190,000  words  were  handled,  the  highest  number 
up  to  the  event  of  July  2d.  But  the  press  and 
telegraph  companies  had  full  warning  and  had 
made  every  preparation  previous  to  the  fourth  of 
March.  It  was  in  a busy  season,  and  a full  corps 
of  experienced  men  were  at  work.  Previous  to 
the  Inauguration  record,  the  highest  score  was 
during  the  Credit  Mobilier  excitement,  in  1873,  and 
this  was  only  113,000  words.  The  highest  record 
at  the  Capital  on  sensational  days  has  not  gone 
over  50,000  words.  It  will  be  seen,  then,  that 
Saturday,  July  2d,  was  an  era  in  Washington  corre- 
spondence and  telegraphy,  both  of  which  reached  a 
point  of  excellence  and  capacity,  under  the  most 
disadvantageous  circumstances,  hitherto  unknown. 
The  record  of  words  at  the  Western  Union  does 
not,  however,  tell  the  whole  story.  Several  of  the 
most  prominent  newspapers,  and  notably  those 
which  take  the  most  matter,  have  private  wires, 
and  each  of  these,  alone,  sent  from  twenty  to 
thirty  thousand  words.  The  second  of  July,  1881, 
will  long  be  remembered  as  a black  spot  in 
American  history,  but  it  will  also  be  remembered 
as  a bright  one  in  the  annals  of  American 
journalism. 


664 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


CHAPTER  XLII. 


THE  MISCREANT. 


LL  this  time  possibly  the  reader  has  asked 


what  of  the  assassin?  I have  purposely  re- 


served any  notice  of  this  miscreant  as  long 


as  convenient,  for  I do  not  deem  him  deserving 
of  any  more  notice  than  is  rendered  absolutely 
necessary  to  comprehend  the  full  story. 

Charles  Jules  Guiteau,  the  would-be  assassin,  is 
a man  of  about  forty  years  of  age,  and  of  French 
descent.  He  is  five  feet  five  inches  in  height,  has 
a sandy  complexion,  and  is  slender,  weighing  not 
more  than  125  pounds.  He  wears  a mustache 
and  thin  chin  whiskers,  slightly  tinged  with  gray. 
His  sunken  cheeks  and  widely  separated  eyes 
give  him  a sullen,  or,  as  the  jailer  described  it,  a 
“looney,”  appearance.  He  has  for  some  years 
been  a person  of  disordered  mind  and  restless 
habits.  Nominally  he  is  a lawyer,  although  it 
does  not  appear  that  he  ever  had  any  practice  ex- 
cept among  persons  of  the  lowest  social  and  moral 
rank.  His  reputation  was  bad  wherever  he  went. 
He  was  at  times  a religious  enthusiast,  and  in  the 
summer  of  1880,  turned  his  attention  to  politics, 
apparently  in  the  hope  of  gaining  some  political 
preferment. 


THE  ASSASSIN  IN  HIS  CELL. 


I 


* 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


665 


One  who  knew  him  gave  this  account  of  him  : 
“His  father,  J.  W.  Guiteau,  wras  an  old  resident 
and  respected  citizen  of  Freeport,  Illinois,  where  he 
held  many  offices  of  trust.  Some  years  ago  he 
became  deranged  on  the  subject  of ‘Perfection,’ 
and  lectured  extensively  through  the  North  and 
West  on  that  subject.  He  married  a very  beau- 
tiful woman,  with  whom  and  the  younger  children 
he  joined  the  Oneida  Community.  He  afterward 
returned  to  Freeport,  where,  from  1864  up  to 
last  September,  the  time  of  his  death,  he  served 
as  cashier  of  the  Second  National  Bank.  There 
were  three  children.  An  older  brother,  Wilkes 
Guiteau,  for  a long  time  practiced  law  at  Daven- 
port, Iowa,  but  is  now  practicing  his  profession  in 
Boston,  Massachusetts,  where  also  he  is  at  the 
head  of  large  insurance  interests.  A younger 
sister,  Flora,  was  a very  promising  girl,  having  a 
decided  talent  for  music.  Charles  Jules  Guiteau, 
who  to-day  is  in  jail  for  the  murder  of  the  Presi- 
dent, was  an  odd  boy.  He  appears  to  have  been 
the  only  one  of  the  children  tainted  with  his 
father’s  eccentricities.  When  the  family  left  the 
Oneida  Community,  Charles,  then  fifteen  or  sixteen 
years  old,  was  left  behind.  Pie  afterward  went  to 
Chicago,  where  he  studied  law,  being  cared  for 
and  supplied  with  money  by  his  father.  After 
completing  his  studies,  Guiteau  went  to  Europe, 
where  he  traveled  several  years,  imbibing  Social- 
istic and  other  eccentric  doctrines.  A few  years 


666 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


ago  he  returned  to  this  country,  and  lectured  on 
the  second  advent  of  Christ.  He  published  a 
pamphlet  on  the  subject,  in  which  the  egotism  of 
the  man  was  plainly  shown.  He  spoke  of  him- 
self as  a messenger  of  God  to  announce  His  com- 
ing. His  lectures  on  this  subject  were  a failure. 
Jules — we  used  to  call  him  Julius,  but  I see  he 
has  dropped  that  part  of  his  name — is  now  about 
forty  or  forty-two  years  old.  From  what  I knew 
of  the  boy,  his  education  in  the  Oneida  Community, 
and  his  utterances'  on  religion,  I was  not  at  all  sur- 
prised at  his  committing  the  act.  I understand 
from  people  employed  at  the  White  House  that 
Guiteau  had  forced  himself  upon  the  President 
several  times.  He  was  an  applicant  for  the  con- 
sulship at  Marseilles,  and  one  day  obtained  access 
to  the  President,  and  acted  so  rudely  that  the  Pre- 
sident had  him  removed.  I have  no  doubt  that, 
feeling  offended  by  this  act,  he  determined  on  the 
course  which  culminated  in  the  terrible  tragedy  of 
July  2d.  Guiteau  was  hanging  around  the  Re- 
publican head-quarters,  No.  241  Fifth  Avenue, 
New  York,  during  the  campaign  last  fall.  He 
made  a few  speeches,  but  his  efforts  did  not  seem 
to  be  appreciated  by  the  committee.  He  was 
poor  and  seedy-looking,  and  borrowed  some 
money  from  Mr.  Jewell  after  the  election,  and  a 
few  days  before  the  committee  broke  up  he  asked 
Governor  Jewell  for  a recommendation  for  a con- 
sulate. He  specially  urged  that  if  he  could  secure 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


667 


a consulate,  a certain  rich  lady  would  marry  him. 
It  is  not  known  whether  the  Governor  recom- 
mended him  or  not,  but  one  thing  is  certain — he 
was  looked  upon  as  a person  who  was  not  exactly 
right  in  the  upper  story.” 

When  the  prisoner  arrived  at  the  jail,  he  was 
neatly  attired  in  a suit  of  blue,  and  wore  a drab 
hat,  pulled  down  over  his  eyes,  giving  him  the  ap- 
pearance of  an  ugly  character.  It  is  worthy  of 
note,  that  some  days  previously,  Guiteau  went  to 
the  jail  for  the  purpose  of  visiting  it,  but  was  re- 
fused admittance,  on  the  ground  that  it  was  not 
“ visitors’  day.”  He  at  that  time  mentioned  his 
name  as  Guiteau,  and  said  that  he  came  from 
Chicago.  When  brought  to  the  jail  by  the  police, 
he  was  admitted  by  the  officer  who  had  previously 
refused  to  allow  him  to  enter,  and  a mutual  recog- 
nition took  place,  Guiteau  saying,  “You  are  the 
man  who  wouldn’t  let  me  go  through  the  jail 
some  time  ago.”  The  only  other  remark  he 
made  before  being  placed  in  his  cell,  was  that 
General  Sherman  would  arrive  at  the  jail  soon . 
The  two  jailers  who  guarded  his  cell,  stated  that 
they  had  seen  him  around  the  jail  several  times, 
and  that  on  one  occasion  he  appeared  to  be 
under  the  influence  of  liquor.  On  one  of  his 
visits,  subsequent  to  the  first  one  mentioned,  diese 
officers  said  that  Guiteau  succeeded  in  reaching 
the  rotunda  of  the  building,  where  he  was  noticed 
examining  the  scaffold  from  which  some  mur- 
derers had  been  hanged. 


668 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


The  assassin’s  reasons  for  the  dastardly  deed 
are  given  in  the  following  letter,  found  in  his  pos- 
session : 

“July  2d,  1881. 

‘ ‘ To  the  White  House  : 

“The  President’s  tragic  death  was  a sad  necessity,  but  it  will 
unite  the  Republican  party,  and  save  the  Republic.  Life  is 
a flimsy  dream,  and  it  matters  little  where  one  goes.  A hu- 
man life  is  of  small  value.  During  the  war  thousands  of  brave 
boys  went  down  without  a tear. 

“ I presume  the  President  was  a Christian,  and  that  he  will 
be  happier  in  Paradise  than  here.  It  will  be  no  worse  for  Mrs. 
Garfield,  dear  soul,  to  part  with  her  husband  this  way  than 
by  natural  death.  He  is  liable  to  go  at  any  time,  anyway. 
I had  no  ill-will  toward  the  President.  His  death  was  a 
political  necessity. 

“ I am  a lawyer,  a theologian  and  a politician.  I am  a Stal- 
wart of  the  Stalwarts.  I was  with  General  Grant  and  the 
rest  of  our  men,  in  New  York,  during  the  canvass.  I have 
some  papers  for  the  press,  which  I shall  leave  with  Byron 
Andrews,  and  his  co-journalists,  at  1420  New  York  Avenue, 
where  all  the  reporters  can  see  them.  I am  going  to  the 
jail. 

“ Charles  Guiteau.’’ 

The  following  letter  was  found  on  the  street 
soon  after  Guiteau’s  arrest,  with  the  envelope  un- 
sealed, and  addressed,  “ Please  deliver  at  once  to 
General  Sherman,  or  his  first  assistant  in  charge 
of  the  War  Department 

“To  General  Sherman : 

“ I have  just  shot  the  President.  I shot  him  several  times,  as 
I wished  him  to  go  as  easily  as  possible.  PI  is  death  was  a 
political  necessity.  I am  a lawyer,  theologian  and  politician. 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


669 


I am  a Stalwart  of  the  Stalwarts.  I was  with  General  Grant 
and  the  rest  of  our  men,  in  New  York,  during  the  canvass. 
I am  going  to  the  jail.  Please  order  out  your  troops,  and 
take  possession  of  the  jail  at  once. 

“ Very  respectfully,  Charles  Guiteau.” 

Detective  McElfresh,  who  took  the  prisoner  to 
jail,  reported  the  following  conversation  as  occur- 
ring between  Guiteau  and  himself  while  being  con- 
ducted thither : 

“ I asked  him,  ‘ Where  are  you  from  ?’ 

“ ‘ I am  a native-born  American — born  in  Chi- 
cago— and  am  a lawyer  and  a theologian.’ 

“ ‘ Why  did  you  do  this  ?’ 

“ ‘ I did  it  to  save  the  Republican  party.’ 

“ ‘ What  are  your  politics  ?’ 

“ ‘ I am  a Stalwart  among  the  Stalwarts.  With 
Garfield  out  of  the  way,  we  can  carry  all  the 
Northern  States,  and  with  him  in  the  way,  we  can’t 
carry  a single  one.’  ” 

Upon  learning  that  McElfresh  was  a detective, 
Guiteau  said : “ You  stick  to  me,  and  have  me  put 
in  the  third  story,  front,  at  the  jail.  General  Sher- 
man is  coming  down  to  take  charge.  When  you 
go  back  to  the  depot,  you  will  find  that  I left  two 
bundles  of  papers  at  the  news  stand,  which  will 
explain  all.” 

“ Is  there  anybody  else  with  you  in  this  mat- 
ter?” 

“Not  a living  soul.  I have  contemplated  the 
thing  for  the  last  six  weeks,  and  would  have  shot 


.6  7° 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


him  when  he  went  away  with  Mrs.  Garfield,  but  I 
looked  at  her,  and  she  looked  so  bad,  that  I 
changed  my  mind.” 

Further  light  was  thrown  upon  Guiteau  by  a 
statement  from  District-Attorney  Corkhill,  who, 
after  a patient  investigation,  issued  the  follow- 
ing : 

‘•The  interest  felt  by  the  public  in  the  details  of  the 
assassination,  and  the  many  stories  published,  justify  me  in 
stating  that  the  following  is  a correct  and  accurate  statement 
concerning  the  points  to  which  reference  is  made  : The 
assassin,  Charles  Guiteau,  came  to  Washington  city  on  Sunday 
evening,  March  6th,  1881,  and  stopped  at  the  Ebbitt  House, 
remaining  only  one  day.  He  then  secured  a room  in  another 
part  of  the  city,  and  had  boarded  and  roomed  at  various 
places,  the  full  details  of  which  I have.  On  Wednesday, 
May  1 8th,  1881,  the  assassin  determined  to  murder  the  Presi- 
dent. He  had  neither  money  nor  pistol  at  the  time.  About 
the  last  of  May  he  went  into  O’Meara’s  store,  corner  of 
Fifteenth  and  F Streets,  this  city,  and  examined  some  pistols, 
asking  for  the  largest  calibre.  He  was  shown  two  similar  in 
calibre,  and  only  different  in  the  price.  On  Wednesday, 
June  8th,  he  purchased  a pistol,  for  which  he  paid  $io,  he 
having,  in  the  meantime,  borrowed  $15  of  a gentleman  in  this 
city,  on  the  plea  that  he  wanted  to  pay  his  board  bill.  On 
the  same  evening,  about  7 o’clock,  he  took  the  pistol  and 
went  to  the  foot  of  Seventeenth  Street,  and  practiced  firing  at 
a board,  firing  ten  shots.  He  then  returned  to  his  boarding 
place  and  wiped  the  pistol  dry,  and  wrapped  it  in  his  coat, 
and  waited  his  opportunity.  On  Sunday  morning,  June  15th, 
he  was  sitting  in  Lafayette  Park,  and  saw  the  President  leave 
for  the  Christian  Church  on  Vermont  Avenue,  and  he  at  once 
returned  to  his  room,  obtained  his  pistol,  put  it  in  his  pocket 
and  followed  the  President  to  church.  He  entered  the  church, 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


67 1 


but  found  he  could  not  kill  him  there  without  danger  of 
killing  some  one  else.  He  noticed  that  the  President  sat 
near  a window.  After  church  he  made  an  examination  of  the 
window,  and  found  he  could  reach  it  without  any  trouble,  and 
that  from  this  point  he  could  shoot  the  President  through  the 
head  without  killing  any  one  else.  The  following  Wednesday 
he  went  to  the  church,  examined  the  location  and  the  window, 
and  became  satisfied  he  could  accomplish  his  purpose.  He 
determined  to  make  the  attempt  at  the  church  the  following 
Sunday.  Learning  from  the  papers  that  the  President  would 
leave  the  city  on  Saturday,  the  iSth  of  June,  with  Mrs.  Gar- 
field, for  Long  Branch,  he,  therefore,  decided  to  meet  him  at 
the  depot.  He  left  his  boarding  place  about  5 o’clock  Saturday 
morning,  June  iSth,  and  went  down  to  the  river  at  the  foot 
of  Seventeenth  Street,  and  fired  five  shots  to  practice  his  aim, 
and  be  certain  his  pistol  was  in  good  order.  He  then  went 
to  the  depot,  and  was  in  the  ladies’  waiting-room  of  the 
depot,  with  his  pistol  ready,  when  the  presidential  party 
entered.  He  says  Mrs.  Garfield  looked  so  weak  and  frail  that 
he  had  not  the  heart  to  shoot  the  President  in  her  presence, 
and,  as  he  knew  he  would  have  another  opportunity,  he  left 
the  depot.  He  had  previously  engaged  a carriage  to  take  him 
to  the  jail.  On  “Wednesday  evening,  the  President  and  his 
son,  and,  I think,  United  States  Marshal  Henry,  went  out  for 
a ride.  The  assassin  took  his  pistol  and  followed  them,  and 
watched  them  for  some  time,  in  hopes  the  carriage  would 
stop,  but  no  opportunity  was  given.  On  Friday  evening, 
July  1st,  he  was  sitting  on  the  seat  in  the  park  opposite  the 
White  House,  when  he  saw  the  President  come  out  alone.  He 
followed  him  down  the  avenue  to  Fifteenth  Street,  and  then 
kept  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  street  upon  Fifteenth,  until 
the  President  entered  the  residence  of  Secretary  Blaine.  He 
waited  at  the  corner  of  Fifteenth  and  H Streets  for  some  time, 
and  then,  as  he  was  afraid  he  would  attract  attention,  he 
went  into  the  alley  in  the  rear  of  Mr.  Morton’s  residence, 
examined  his  pistol  and  waited.  The  President  and  Secretary 


67  2 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


Blaine  came  out  together,  and  he  followed  over  to  the  gate  of 
the  White  House,  but  could  get  no  opportunity  to  use  his 
weapon.  On  the  morning  of  Saturday,  July  2d,  he  break- 
fasted at  the  Riggs  House  about  7 o’clock.  He  then  walked 
up  into  the  park,  and  sat  there  for  an  hour.  He  then  took  a 
horse  car  and  rode  to  Sixth  Street,  got  out  and  went  into  the 
depot,  and  loitered  around  there;  had  his  shoes  blacked; 
engaged  a hackman  for  $2  to  take  him  to  the  jail  ; went  into 
the  water-closet  and  took  his  pistol»out  of  his  hip-pocket,  and 
unwrapped  the  paper  from  around  it,  which  he  had  put  there 
for  the  purpose  of  preventing  the  perspiration  from  the  body 
dampening  the  powder  ; examined  his  pistol ; carefully  tried 
the  trigger,  and  then  returned  and  took  a seat  in  the  ladies’ 
waiting-room,  and,  as  soon  as  the  President  entered,  advanced 
behind  him  and  fired  two  shots. 

“ These  facts,  I think,  can  be  relied  upon  as  accurate,  and  I 
give  them  to  the  public  to  contradict  certain  false  rumors  in 
connection  with  the  most  atrocious  of  atrocious  crimes.” 

The  pistol  used  by  him  was  a double-acting  five- 
chambered  revolver,  of  44-100  of  an  inch  calibre, 
known  as  the  “British  Bull-dog”  pattern.  In 
regard  to  his  trial,  the  Grand  Jury  for  July,  in  the 
District  of  Columbia,  were  discharged  on  July  8th, 
the  District-Attorney  not  presenting  Guiteau  for 
indictment,  because  of  the  following  letter  from 
the  White  House  physicians  : 

“ Sir  : In  reply  to  your  inquiry  as  to  the  condition  of  the 
President,  we  would  say  that  up  to  the  present  time  he  has 
done  exceedingly  well  for  one  who  has  received  so  dangerous 
a wound ; but  while  we  anticipate  recovery,  it  is  not  yet 
possible  to  assert  with  confidence  that  his  injuries  may  not 
terminate  fatally.  “ Very  respectfully, 

“D.  W.  Bliss,  J.  K.  Barnes, 

“J.  J-  Woodward,  Robert  Reyburn.” 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


673 


If  the  President  should  not  die  for  a year  and 
a day,  Guiteau,  under  the  common  law,  cannot  be 
tried  for  murder. 

His  crime  was,  of  course — as  all  particularly 
noticed  crimes  are — followed  by  a slight  epidemic 
of  crime.  Several  lunatics  appeared  in  Washington 
almost  immediately  that  Guiteau’s  deed  was  known, 
and  wanted  to  shoot  some  one  or  other,  fully  bear- 
ing out  what  President  Garfield  said  a year  ago 
concerning  himself  and  attempts  on  his  life  : “ I 
have  always  supposed  that  a man  who  occupies  so 
exalted  and  powerful  position,  as  does  the  Presi- 
dent of  the  United  States,  must  exert  a fatal 
fascination  over  a man  of  morbid  mind,  who  seeks 
his  life  for  revenge  or  any  other  motive.” 


674 


LIFE  AMD  PUBLIC  CAREER  01 


CHAPTER  XLIII. 


THE  LESSONS  OF  THE  HOUR. 

There  are  always  timid  men  in  a nation, 
men  who  feel  inclined  to  adopt  some 
temporary,  easily  suggested  device  to 
bridge  over  any  disaster.  Such  device  is  usually 
superficial  and  wanting  entirely  in  adequateness, 
while  it  too  often  does  more  evil  in  principle  than 
it  accomplishes  good  in  fact.  The  terrible  crime 
that  darkened  our  land  and  shadowed  to  sadness 
our  national  birth-day,  brought  naturally  to  the 
front  our  timid  innovators — those  who  were  ready 
to  consent  to  anything  that  satisfied  their  feelings, 
and  suaofed  their  honor,  in  order  that  it  miq-ht  not 
“ happen  again.” 

Two  propositions  emanated  from  these  well- 
meaning  citizens,  one  with  reference  to  Guiteau — 
an  expression  of  national  desire ; the  other  with 
reference  to  the  President — a measure  of  national 
safety.  The  first  partakes  of  the  nature  of  re- 
venge. Guiteau’s  offense  under  the  law  is  shooting 
“with  intent  to  kill,”  punishable  with  eight  years’ 
imprisonment  for  a first  offense,  and  with  fifteen 
years  for  a second  offense.  Insanity,  according  to 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


675 


the  law  of  the  District  of  Columbia,  which  follows 
the  old  English  law,  cannot  be  pleaded  in  defense 
of  his  crime,  because  insanity  is  held  not  to  exist 
where  there  is  premeditation.  Guiteau,  therefore, 
will  be  tried  for  shoo  tin  a-  “with  intent  to  kill.” 

o 

Possibly,  by  a liberal  construction  of  the  law,  he 
may  be  sentenced  to  twenty-three  years  in  the 
penitentiary,  the  first  shot  fired  at  the  President 
beine  counted  a first  offense,  and  the  second  shot 
a second  offense.  Possibly,  also,  the  court  in  its 
discretion  may  make  the  sentence  one  of  solitary 
confinement.  This  then,  twenty-three  years  in 
solitary  confinement,  is  the  utmost  possible,  but  not 
the  probable,  penalty  that  can  be  meted  to  Guiteau 
for  a crime  that  made  the  world  shudder. 

How  inadequate ! is  the  prompted  thought  in  the 
reader’s  mind.  That  a dastardly  villain  who  sought 
out  the  life  of  the  beloved  chief  of  fifty  millions  of 
people,  who  in  cowardly  fashion  and  with  cold- 
blooded purpose  shot  down  the  liberties  of  those 
people,  should  be  guarded  by  even  Justice  with  gen- 
tle hands  against  the  clutches  of  the  masses,  should 
be  shielded  from  the  vengeance  he  so  richly  de- 
served and  sentenced  only  to  twenty-three  years — 
what  a mockery  it  seems  on  our  sympathy  for 
the  President,  what  a travesty  upon  our  love  for 
the  victim ! And  yet,  the  very  inadequacy  of 
the  law’s  sentence  to  satisfy  our  condemnation  of 
the  deed  should  “give  men  pause”  and  recall  all 
their  senses  to  deal  with  the  case  in  exact  ac- 


6;  6 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


cordance  with  our  institutions  and  in  strict  com- 
pliance with  our  legal  code. 

The  proposition  has  been  made,  and  by  even 
so  distinguished  a man  as  ex-Senator  Conlding, 
that  the  law  in  Guiteau’s  case  be  altered  in  order 
that  the  punishment  may  in  some  slight  degree, 
at  least,  voice  the  deep  horror  of  the  people.  This, 
doubtless,  would  gratify  every  man,  woman  and 
child  in  America,  save  the  isolated  wretch  who  has 
won  the  hatred  of  each  honest  human  being  on 
this  globe.  Him'  it  would  affect  by  the  rapid 
shortening  of  his  life.  Greatly  as  this  would 
gratify  the  people,  every  man  must  disapprove  of 
any  such  attempt.  The  law  is  the  law,  and  Gui- 
teau  must  meet  the  exact  measure  of  his  crime  as 
there  defined,  no  more,  no  less.  The  glory  of  our 
institutions — the  pride  of  our  people,  the  strength 
of  our  nation,  lies  in  our  great  declaration  that 
holds 

All  men  equal  before  the  law. 

Guiteau,  in  shooting  the  President,  shot  only  a 
man — who  at  the  moment  happened  to  be  our 
President.  The  law  makes  no  distinction  between 
the  President  and  the  humblest  citizen  he  rules 
over,  except  in  exemption  from  arrest  for  debt. 
And  it  is  well  that  it  is  so.  Alexander  Hamilton, 
when  he  prepared  and  presented  the  germs  of  the 
Constitution,  avoided  as  far  as  possible  the  slight- 
est leaning  to  imperialism.  W e should  never  have 
lived  had  he  not  intermingled  everywhere,  in  his 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


6/7 


life-work,  the  paramount  doctrine  of  our  perfect 
equality.  It  is  not  the  time  now  to  abandon  this 
principle,  nor  would  the  President,  the  chief  sufferer 
from  the  attack,  countenance  such  a move.  It  is  not 
to  be  thought  of  for  an  instant.  We  may  regret 
it,  but  Guiteau  must  be  sentenced  only  as  the  law 
would  direct  had  his  assault  been  committed  upon 
the  least  known  citizen  of  the  National  Capital. 

The  second  proposition  that  has  emanated  from 
the  timid  men  of  the  nation  does  full  justice  to 
their  love  for  our  President,  but  little  credit  to 
their  belief  in  our  institutions.  They  would  have 
the  President  surrounded  by  a body-guard,  by  men 
able  to  prevent  the  approach  of  lunatics  and 
dangerous  persons.  This  proposition  should  be 
opposed  with  urgency,  as  unpatriotic  and  harmful 
in  a land  where  republicanism  has  found  its  ful- 
lest, most  noble  growth.  I remember  hearing  an 
orator,  during  a campaign  of  some  years  ago,  draw 
from  his  vast  audience  a cheer,  that  in  intensity, 
spontaneity  and  heartiness,  surpassed  anything 
I had  ever  heard  before.  The  words  that  brought 
it  forth,  quick  from  the  hearts  of  his  listeners,  were 
those  of  his  reply  to  a visiting  Englishman,  who 
expressed  strong  doubts  of  the  stability  of  republi- 
can institutions,  and  asked  what  o-uarantee  there 
existed  that  these  institutions  would  not  soon  be 
overthrown.  “ The  guarantee  that  exists  in  the 
fact,”  replied  the  American,  “ that  the  President 
of  fifty  millions  of  people  sleeps  to-night  without 


g-g  LIFE  AMD  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 

a single  guard!  And  there  is  nothing  to  be 
argued  from  the  present  case  that  should  prompt 
us  to  place  a guard  about  the  President.  His 
person  is  safe  in  the  fifty  million  hearts  of  his 
people,  of  those  who  gladly  consented  that  he 
should  rule  over  them,  and  who  will  fly  to  his 
rescue  if  there  is  a dang-er.  That  something- should 
be  done  to  lessen  the  chances,  to  prevent  almost 
certainly  the  recurrence  of  such  a deed,  I hasten 
to  admit.  But  it  should  be  done  by  removing  the 
causes  that  gave  rise  to  a state  of  affairs  that 
.made  Guiteau  possible,  rather  than  by  attempting 
to  prevent  another  Guiteau  from  reaching  the 
same  measure  of  success  as  that  attained  on  the 
second  of  July,  this  year.  It  is  wiser  to  remove 
all  inclinations  to  be  an  assassin  than  to  attempt  to 
thwart  his  blood-thirsty  desires.  Remove  the 
cause  of  disease  rather  than  attempt  remedies  to 
check  it  when  it  shows  itself.  To  do  this,  some- 
thing- is  needed  that  shall  cure  the  evils  bred  of  the 
spoils  system,  and  the  constant  elevation  of  party 
to  the  inevitable  degradation  of  country.  The 
press  of  the  land  is  unanimous  on  this  point.  In- 
deed, the  President,  possibly  discerning  disaster 
in  the  future,  called  attention  to  the  matter  in  his 
inaugural  address.  There  he  said  : 

“The  civil  service  can  never  be  placed  on  a satisfactory 
basis  until  it  is  regulated  by  law.  For  the  good  of  the  ser- 
vice itself,  for  the  protection  of  those  who  are  intrusted  with 
the  appointing  power  against  the  waste  of  time  and  obstruc- 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


679 


tion  of  the  public  business,  caused  by  the  inordinate  pressure 
for  place,  and  for  the  protection  of  incumbents  against  in- 
trigue and  wrong,  I shall,  at  the  proper  time,  ask  Congress  to 
fix  the  tenure  of  the  minor  offices  of  the  several  executive  de- 
partments and  prescribe  the  grounds  upon  which  removals 
shall  be  made  during  terms  for  which  incumbents  have  been 
appointed.” 


There  can  be  no  question  but  what  the  mind 
of  the  people  is  made  up  to  brook  no  delay  in 
this  matter,  and  whatever  recommendations  the 
President  shall  see  fit  to  make  to  Congress  in  his 
first  annual  message  next  December,  will  doubt- 
less be  speedily  acted  on.  Two  bills  were  intro- 
duced into  the  last  Congress  dealing  with  the 
subject  of  civil  service  reform.  Neither  of  them 
was  pronounced  unconstitutional  or  impractical, 
and  yet  neither  was  ever  debated,  because  Con- 
gress supposed  the  people  were  not  in  earnest  or 
ripe  for  this  matter.  There  can  be  no  doubt  now. 
The  Ohio  Democratic  Convention  has  led  the  way 
with  a tenure  of  office  plank  in  its  platform,  and 
before  another  June  is  here  the  President  will 
undoubtedly  be  relieved  by  law  from  filling  the 
100,000  offices  at  present  in  his  gift.  Nominations 
to  all  the  smaller  offices  should  be  in  charge  of  the 
heads  of  those  departments  under  whom  the  ap- 
pointees will  serve,  reserving  always  to  the  Presi- 
dent the  right  of  veto  upon  any  appointment. 
Tenure  of  office  should  be  enforced  during  com- 
petency and  good  behavior.  Such  a law  would 


6So 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OP 


relieve  the  President  from  being  saddled  personally 
with  the  entire  debt  of  the  campaign  that  elected 
him. 

The  necessity  of  this  is  one  of  the  lessons  of 
the  hour.  Another  is  that  of  a more  earnest 
charity,  a greater  brotherly  love,  a stronger  bond 
of  fellowship  between  political  parties,  between 
leaders,  between  men,  between  each  one  with  his 
neighbor.  Guiteau’s  bullet,  in  the  mercy  of  Provi- 
dence, has  done  more  to  make  us  a nation  than 
has  been  accomplished  in  all  the  years  past  since 
1850.  There  is  no  longer  any  South,  North, 
East  or  West.  We  are  all  brothers  ; all  filled 
with  a common  purpose.  There  is  already  a 
warmer  feeling,  a greater  respect  among  Repub- 
licans for  Democrats,  a stronger  sympathy  among 
Democrats  for  Republicans,  a more  perfect  politi- 
cal charity,  a more  magnificent  brotherhood. 
Were  the  campaign  of  last  year  to  be  fought  over 
again  this,  the  bitterness  of  it,  the  disgrace  of  it,  the 
contemptible  things  of  it,  could  never  be  reintro- 
duced. Guiteau’s  bullet  will  accomplish  much  to 
better  our  political  life,  to  make  purer  our  politi- 
cal purposes.  And  it  will  do,  also,  a good  deal  to 
win  respect  for  that  high  office  which  Guiteau's 
victim  occupies,  the  elevation  of  which  has  already 
brought  to  two  men  the  sufferings  of  the  assas- 
sin’s  purpose. 

That  victim  is  now  a great  saint  in  American 
story.  Before  July  2d  he  had  the  respect  of 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


68 1 

most  of  his  people.  To-day  there  is  not  one  so 
poor  as  does  not  homage  to  his  memory  For 
there  never  has  been  in  our  history  a man  who  so 
drew  together  the  hearts  of  the  American  people. 
As  Garfield  once  said,  “ one  great,  generous  pas- 
sion stimulates  another,”  so  our  love  for  him  has 
stimulated  the  love,  charity  and  good-fellowship 
of  the  whole  American  people. 


41 


68a 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


CHAPTER  XLIV, 


THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  SHADOW  OF  DEATH. 


FTER  the  25th  of  July,  for  several  days 


the  President  seemed  once  more  on  the 


road  to  recovery.  The  doctors  reported 


him  as  progressing  favorably,  and  people  believ- 
ing, as  President  Garfield  had  himself  said  earlier 
in  the  case,  “ The  heart  of  the  nation  won’t  let  the 
old  soldier  die,”  had  dismissed  the  question  of 
recovery  or  death  as  certainly  decided  in  favor  of 
recovery.  By  August  6th,  more  unfavorable 
symptoms  and  a rise  in  temperature  and  accele- 
ration of  pulse  were  noticeable.  These  could  not 
be  accounted  for,  except  on  the  supposition  that 
another  pus  cavity  was  in  process  of  formation 
or  had  already  formed.  It  had  been  manifesting 
itself  for  six  days.  On  August  8th,  the  surgeons 
decided  to  operate  again.  In  the  10.30  bulletin  of 
that  morning,  the  doctors  said: 

“ It  having  become  necessary  to  make  a further 
opening  to  facilitate  the  escape  of  pus,  we  took 
advantage  of  the  improved  condition  of  the  Presi- 
dent this  morning.  Shortly  after  the  morning 
bulletin  was  issued  he  was  etherized.  The  in- 
cision extended  downward  and  forward,  and  a 
counter  opening  made  into  the  track  of  the  ball 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


683 


below  the  margin  of  the  twelfth  rib,  which,  it  is 
believed,  will  effect  the  desired  object.  He  bore 
the  operation  well,  has  now  recovered  from  the 
effects  of  etherization  and  is  in  excellent  condi- 
tion-” 

The  necessity  for  the  operation  was  apparent  to 
the  surgeons  the  day  before,  when  they  found 
that  a drainage  tube  of  the  size  hitherto  used 
could  no  longer  be  passed  along  the  track  of  die 
ball  between  the  ribs.  The  process  of  granula- 
tion at  this  point  had  gone  on  so  far  as  to  par- 
tially close  the  orifice,  and  the  ribs  prevented  the 
pushing  aside  of  the  flesh,  which  was  healing  be- 
tween them,  enough  so  that  the  tube  could  be 
introduced.  The  result  of  this  state  of  things  was 
that  pus  formed  in  the  deeper  parts  of  the  wound 
rather  faster  than  it  could  escape  through  the 
half-obstructed  opening  between  the  ribs,  and  its 
gradual  accumulation  be^an  to  cause  disturbance. 
It  was,  therefore,  decided  to  make  a new  opening 
into  the  track  of  the  ball,  below  the  last  rib,  so 
that  the  ribs  should  no  longer  prevent  the  keeping 
open  of  the  wound  by  the  solid  backing  which  they 
afforded  to  the  granulating  flesh  between  them. 
The  operation  was  performed,  at  the  request  of 
the  other  surgeons,  by  Dr.  Agnew.  As  soon  as 
the  patient  had  been  put  under  the  influence  of 
ether,  a long  and  slightly-curved  instrument  was 
introduced  into  the  wound,  pushed  between  the 
ribs  and  carried  downward  along  the  track  of  the 


684 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


bullet  until  its  end  could  be  felt  below  the  last  rib 
from  the  outside.  Holding  this  instrument  in  the 
wound  as  a guide,  Dr.  Agnew  then  made  a coun- 
ter incision  below  the  twelfth  rib,  cutting  directly 
through  the  integument  until  his  knife  met  the  end 
of  the  first-mentioned  instrument  at  the  point 
where  he  wished  to  intersect  the  track  of  the  ball. 
The  operation  was  not  a difficult  or  dangerous 
one,  and  the  patient  bore  both  it  and  the  etheriza- 
tion extremely  well. 

Then  again  there  were  perceptible  signs  of  re- 
covery, some  steps  toward  the  dawning  of  certain 
health.  The  doctors  spoke  hopefully,  indeed  en- 
couragingly, and  the  old  confidence  of  the  people, 
that  the  Lord  would  save  their  beloved  President, 
returned  in  full  force.  On  the  12th,  feeling 
somewhat  brighter,  with  exceeding  difficulty  the 
President  wrote  a letter  to  his  aged  mother,  a few 
sentences  of  cheer  and  hope. 

By  the  15th,  it  was  all  changed  again.  Once 
more  a waiting,  praying  nation  was  plunged  in 
despair.  The  President  had  entered  the  Valley 
of  the  Shadow  of  Death.  The  symptoms  of  his 
case  were  aggravated,  nausea  had  set  in,  the 
stomach  refused  to  hold  its  food.  Hypodermic 
injections  of  morphine  were  administered.  The 
vomiting  was  very  debilitating  in  its  effects  and 
if  long  continued  threatened  most  serious  if  not 
fatal  consequences.  All  day  on  the  15th  the 
prospect  was  dark  and  dreary.  The  only  nourish- 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


685 


ment  given  was  by  food  injections,  an  always 
precarious  method  of  sustaining  life.  By  the 
1 7th  he  had  in  his  own  miraculous  way  rallied  a 
little,  an  improvement  that  was  pronounced  the 
next  day.  The  surgeons  agreed  that  the  stomach 
had  not  been  sufficiently  looked  after,  and  that  it 
was  necessary  to  pay  more  attention  to  diet.  And- 
yet  though  the  patient  was  undeniably  better,  still 
it  was  hard  to  believe  he  was  very  much  better. 
Death  seemed  so  near  him,  disputing  every  effort 
to  win  him  back  to  health. 

Two  days  later  another  complication  became 
apparent.  The  right  parotid  gland  (situated  in 
the  face  just  forward  of  the  ear),  began  to  swell. 
At  first  nothings  was  thought  of  it,  and  the  surgeons 
did  not  see  in  it  any  cause  for  apprehension. 
One  of  the  doctors  thus  described  the  patient’s 
condition  on  the  evening  of  the  23d:  “The  Presi- 
dent to-night  is  somewhat  better,  but  the  improve- 
ment is  relative,  and  scarcely  means  more  than 
that  he  is  no  worse.  With  a single  important  ex- 
ception, the  signs  of  improvement  are  of  a nega- 
tive character.  The  important  exception  is  the 
stomach.  During  the  day  the  President  has  been 
able  to  take  and  to  retain  a considerable  quantity, 
twenty-two  ounces,  of  liquid  nourishment  with- 
out any  uneasiness  or  any  recurrence  of  vomiting 
or  nausea.  The  indication  is  a good  one  in  that  it 
shows  that  the  stomach  has  not  altogether  failed 
him;  that  it  is  beginning  to  resume  its  functions. 


686 


LIRE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OP 


and  that,  so  far  as  they  dare  try  it,  it  has  assimi- 
lated a small  quantity  of  very  delicate  nourish- 
ment. Of  course  this  scantily  nutritious  fluid  has 
not  done  much  to  give  strength  to  the  patient.  It 
has  served  little  purpose,  except  to  show  that 
there  is  hope  that  the  stomach  may  regain  its 
tone  and  do  the  work  of  building  up  that  is  essen- 
tial to  the  recovery  of  the  patient.” 

The  general  public  felt  no  more  sanguine  of 
the  result  on  the  25th  than  on  the  day  preceding. 
Dr.  Agnew,  the  senior  consulting  surgeon,  how- 
ever, spoke  hopefully.  The  public,  he  said,  had 
been  led  within  a day  or  two  to  magnify  the  new 
danger  the  President  was  in,  and  to  fear  a sudden 
change  for  the  worse,  which  the  physicians  had 
not  looked  for.  It  was  equally  true  that  many 
people  had  hardly  realized  before  now  that  the 
President  was  very  badly  wounded,  and  that  the 
injury  might,  almost  at  any  time,  have  caused  his 
death.  It  was  only  within  a short  time  that  the 
wound  had  passed  its  most  aggravated  stage,  a 
stage  which  was  inevitably  attended  with  great 
weakness  and  debility,  followed  by  a period  of  al- 
most complete  prostration.  It  is  necessary  for  a 
patient  so  wounded  to  reach  the  bottom  of  the 
ladder  before  he  begins  to  ascend  it  again  to  the 
high  ground  of  restored  health.  That  period  of 
complete  prostration  through  which  he  is  passing 
was  complicated  by  the  failure  of  the  stomach. 
That  has  been  partially  restored  to  strength,  and 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


687 


now  it  is  a question  of  the  staying  powers  of  the 
President  and  of  his  recuperative  forces  whether 
he  shall  advance  toward  convalescence. 

The  extreme  weakness  was  to  be  accounted  for 
by  the  stomachic  trouble  and  septicsemia.  The 
amputation  of  a limb  is  followed  by  a sort  of 
wound  fever,  which  is  sometimes  called  surgeon’s 
fever.  The  President’s  wound  has  caused  this 
same  continued  low  fever,  which  the  whole  system 
is  fioditingf  against,  and  which  will  decrease  if  the 
stomach  continues  to  receive  necessary  nourish- 
ment. There  were  no  traces  of  malaria  at  the 
White  House,  noi  could  he  find  that  any  one  who 
had  ever  lived  near  the  Executive  Mansion  had 
been  affected  with  it  in  the  past.  The  sick-room 
was  perfectly  comfortable  and  healthy.  The  tem- 
perature could  be  reduced  almost  to  any  degree 
by  the  refrigerator  apparatus,  and  the  chamber 
where  the  President  lies  was  by  far  the  most  com- 
fortable place  that  he  had  been  in  at  all.  It  might 
become  necessary  to  open  an  abscess  if  the  inflam- 
mation developed  to  that  point,  but  it  would  hardly 
be  called  an  operation.  The  soreness  came  from 
the  impoverished  condition  of  the  blood,  but  the 
danger  of  the  present  inflammation  from  that 
cause  had  been  magnified  by  unofficial  dispatches. 

In  spite  of  these  encouraging  opinions,  the 
public  pulse  was  very  low.  The  poor  President 
suffering  as  he  did,  did  not  seem  to  be  progress- 
ing. And  all  the  time  the  black  figure  of  death 


688 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


kept  his  silent  place  among  the  watchers  in  the 
sick-room.  The  fears  of  the  people  were  based 
largely  upon  the  pulse  temperature  and  respira- 
tion, all  of  which,  had  been  growing  steadily 
worse  since  the  13th,  as  the  following  table  will 
show: 


Pulse. 

Temperature. 

Respiration. 

d 

0 

% 

Noon.  1 

Eve. 

Mom. 

G 

O 

O 

Eve. 

G* 

u 

O 

s 

Noon. 

w 

Saturday,  13  . . . 

. 104 

102 

104 

100.8 

99.2 

100.7 

19 

18 

19 

Sunday,  14  ... 

. IOO 

. 95 

108 

99.8 

99-3 

100.8 

18 

18 

19 

Monday,  15  . . . 

. 108 

1 18 

13° 

100.2 

99.0 

99.6 

20 

19 

22 

Tuesday,  16  . . . 

no 

1 14 

120 

98.6 

9«-3 

98.9 

18 

18 

19 

Wednesday,  17  . . 

. no 

112 

112 

98-3 

98.7 

98.8 

18 

18 

18 

Thursday,  18  . . . 

. 104 

108 

108 

98.8 

98.4 

100.0 

17 

18 

18 

Friday,  19  . . . . 

. IOO 

106 

106 

98.4 

98.8 

100.0 

17 

17 

18 

Saturday,  20  . . . 

. 98 

107 

no 

98.4 

98.4 

100.4 

18 

18 

19 

Sunday,  21  .... 

108 

108 

98.8 

99-4 

99.2 

18 

18 

18 

Monday,  22  . . . 

. 104 

104 

1 10 

98.4 

98.4 

IOO.I 

18 

18 

19 

Tuesday,  23  . . . 

IOO 

104 

104 

98.4 

98.9 

99-2 

18 

18 

19 

Wednesday,  24  . . 

. IOO 

104 

108 

98.5 

99.2 

100.7 

17 

17 

19 

The  situation  was  thus  described  by  one  of  the 
watchers  at  the  bed-side  on  the  evening-  of 
the  25  th. 

“The  long  and  painfully  anxious  watching  for 
sure  and  permanent  signs  of  convalescence,  and 
the  several  discouragements  caused  by  relapses, 
have  made  the  public  extremely  nervous,  and 
have  had  an  effect  upon  the  President’s  surgeons 
and  attendants.  These  discouragements,  how- 
ever, have  not  destroyed  their  confidence  in  re- 
covery, but  naturally  make  them  regard  each  new 
feature  of  the  case  with  increased  apprehension. 
The  inflamed  gland  is  now  the  chief  object  of 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


689 


solicitude.  There  was  no  material  change  in  it 
to-day.  There  was  some  little  discharge  of 
pus,  but  little  subsidence  of  swelling.  The  fact 
that  the  gland  is  not  improved,  compared  with 
yesterday,  and  does  not  give  indications  of  yield- 
ing to  treatment,  has  no  significance  at  this  stage, 
for  the  reason  that  the  affection  has  not  had  time 
to  reach  maturity  or  that  point  when  the  force 
will  be  expanded  and  where  it  will  break  up,  to 
the  benefit  or  injury  of  the  patient.  It  is  true 
that  the  gland  is  not  doing  as  well  as  the  surgeons 
would  like,  but  nothing  in  addition  to  what  is  now 
beinof  done  can  be  devised  to  hasten  its  action. 
What  will  be  the  effect  of  its  culmination  on  the 
President’s  case  is  not  known  and  cannot  be  con- 
jectured with  certainty,  but  everything  known  to 
the  surgeons  will  be  done  to  prevent  it  from  pro- 
ducing serious  damage.  It  will  require  two  or 
three  days  for  the  swollen  gland  to  reach  that 
stage  where  it  can  be  decided  with  certainty  what 
will  be  the  result,  and  in  the  meantime,  as  previ- 
ously explained  in  these  dispatches,  high  pulse 
and  temperature  may  be  looked  for.  All  other 
features  of  the  case  are  favorable  and  of  minor 
importance.  The  wound  is  causing  no  trouble 
whatever,  and  if  that  was  the  sole  feature  the 
President’s  recovery  could  be  assured.  The 
stomach  continues  to  improve,  and  sufficient  quan- 
tities of  liquid  nourishment  are  being  administered 
to  supply  the  wastage  of  tissue,  and  have  a surplus 


690 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


to  repair  the  general  debility  of  the  system.  This 
continued  steadfastness  and  improvement  of  the 
stomach  is  the  one  great  cause  for  encourage- 
ment in  the  case,  and  if  it  is  maintained,  the  sur- 
geons believe  that,  unless  the  afflicted  gland 
should  seriously  interfere  by  developments  that 
are  possible,  the  President  will  be  sustained 
through  the  period  of  prostration  arising  from  the 
septic  taint  of  the  blood,  and  that  he  will  ultimately 
recover. 

“ Measured  by  the  figures  contained  in  the  official 
bulletin,  the  day  cannot  be  considered  as  favorable, 
and,  on  the  other  hand,  it  may  be  considered  as  a 
favorable  day  if  for  the  patient  to  hold  his  own  be 
regarded  as  a good  indication.  The  pulse  was  a 
few  beats  higher  than  yesterday,  but  the  tempera- 
ture was  at  7 o’clock  to-night  one  degree  lower 
than  at  the  same  hour  last  night.  The  slight  fre- 
quency in  pulse  over  yesterday  is  unimportant  and 
without  significance,  while  the  decrease  of  i°  in 
temperature,  which  was  nearly  ioi°  last  night,  is 
regarded  as  a favorable  indication  by  the  surgeons, 
particularly  in  view  of  the  irritation  of  the  inflamed 
gland.  It  is  apparent,  however,  notwithstanding 
the  fact  that  the  President  seems  to  be  holding 
his  own  in  the  terrible  struggle  in  which  he  is  now 
engaged,  that  the  prevalent  feeling  is  one  of  un- 
certainty, and  this  feeling  is  attributable  mainly  to 
the  apprehension  entertained  as  to  the  termina- 
tion of  the  glandular  trouble  and  the  effect  it  may 


ELBERON  HOTEL.  OOEAN.  FRANOKLYN  OOTTAQE.  TEMPORARY  RAILROAD.  SURGEONS'  OOTYAQE, 


■*  -• 


■ 


• V • 


■ ■ ■ . 


' 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


69I 


have  on  the  wasted  and  debilitated  patient. 
To-night  the  President  is  reported  to  be  resting 
very  well,  with  less  frequency  of  pulse  and  lower 
temperature  than  when  the  evening  bulletin  was 
issued.” 

Friday  he  was  worse ; and,  as  he  seemed  sink- 
ing, slowly  yet  so  surely,  that  no  mortal  hand  could 
save,  the  people  gave  up  all  hope.  The  physi- 
cians on  Friday  night  gave  him  up.  Only  Mrs. 
Garfield  continued  to  believe  he  would  get  well. 
But  it  was  certain  that  nothing  stood  between 
him  and  death  except  the  prayers  of  the  people. 
And  how  the  nation  prayed ! It  was  a wonderful 
fact.  They  prayed  as  never  people  prayed  before. 
And  it  pleased  the  Greater  Magistrate  to  lend  a 
heeding  ear.  Saturday  morning  there  came  a 
change  for  the  better ; Sunday  and  Monday  it 
was  maintained,  and  by  Wednesday,  hope  was 
fully  restored  to  a praying  people,  that  the  Presi- 
dent was  once  more  out  of  the  Valley  of  the 
Shadow  of  Death. 

By  Wednesday,  the  nation  realized  that  prayer 
alone  had  been  the  means  of  bringing  the  Presi- 
dent out  of  the  death  weakness  that  had  settled 
upon  him.  Science  had  given  him  up,  prayer  had 
saved  him.  And  glad  indeed  were  the  people. 
It  was,  however,  recognized  that  the  beloved  suf- 
ferer was  still  in  a most  precarious  condition,  and 
that  to  pull  him  through  the  dangers  that  still  be- 
set his  path  to  recovery,  he  must  be  taken  away 


692 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


from  Washington.  At  the  National  Capital  he 
never  could  recover.  The  malarial  influences  of 
the  Potomac  flats  were  growing  daily  in  virulence, 
and  threatening  to  complete  quickly  what  the  as- 
sassin had  attempted.  Consultations  were  entered 
into  by  the  doctors,  and  it  was  decided  to  remove 
him,  as  soon  as  he  was  able  to  stand  it,  to  some 
northern  place,  where  he  could  have  the  benfit  of 
a sea  breeze.  Pure  and  invigorating  Long  Branch 
was  unanimously  chosen,  and  it  had  no  sooner 
been  definitely  selected  than  the  preparations  for 
the  removal  began. 

By  Monday  night,  September  5th,  everything 
was  in  readiness.  He  was  to  be  taken  from 
Washing-ton  the  next  morning.  Was  he  ever  to 
return  ? Ah,  that  was  a question.  And  the  an- 
swer was  with  Divine  Providence. 

Early  on  the  morning  of  the  6th,  the  indications 
around  the  White  House  pointed  out  that  some- 
thing unusual  was  about  to  happen.  By  4.45  it 
began  to  grow  light,  and  the  crowd  that  had  lin- 
gered at  the  gates  all  night  had  swollen  into  a 
multitude  of  silent,  anxious  spectators.  The 
carriages  that  were  to  convey  the  Presidential 
party  to  the  train  filed  in  and  took  their  places 
before  the  White  House  doors.  Just  before  the 
sunrise  gun  announced  the  dawn  of  day,  the 
removal  was  effected.  The  President  had  slept 
well,  and  was  amply  prepared.  He  was,  indeed, 
anxious  to  be  off.  The  removal  was  begun  by 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


69  5 


carrying  the  bed  on  which  the  President  lay  from 
the  room  into  the  hall,  and  moving  it  along  to  the 
glass  doors,  which  cut  off  the  long  hall  running 
east  and  west  from  the  balcony  at  the  head  of  the 
main  stairs  along  to  the  office.  When  ready  to 
be  started  down  the  stairs  and  out  into  the 
balcony,  the  mattress  on  which  he  lay  was  placed 
upon  a litter,  which  had  been  constructed  at  the 
Government  shops,  and  taken  up-stairs  the  even- 
ing- before.  The  mattress  consisted  of  a rubber 
bag  filled  with  water,  and  had  been  placed  under 
him  in  the  usual  way  by  raising  him  upon  the 
sheets,  as  had  been  done  every  morning  at  the 
change  of  the  bed  and  clothing.  The  litter  was 
so  constructed,  that  when  he  was  placed  upon  it 
and  carried  down  the  main  stairway  into  the 
lower  hall,  it  maintained  a horizontal  position  as 
they  proceeded.  From  the  foot  of  the  stairs  to 
the  wide  doorway  was  but  a few  seconds’ journey, 
and  the  worst  of  the  trip,  as  far  as  the  White 
House  was  concerned,  was  over.  When  the 
President  was  almost  down-stairs,  the  family 
hastily  entered  the  carriages  to  precede  the 
wagon  bearing  the  wounded  man  to  the  depot. 

In  the  first  carriage  that  led  the  mournful  pro- 
cession to  the  depot  rode  Mrs.  Garfield,  Miss 
Mollie  Garfield,  Mrs.  Edson  and  a female  attendant. 
In  the  next  carriage  came  the  servants,  and  then 
others  of  the  party.  No  sooner  had  these  driven 
away  than  Drs.  Agnew  and  Reyburn  came  out  on 


694 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


the  portico  to  see  if  all  was  well.  The  final  survey 
was  satisfactory,  and  a moment  later  the  party 
bearing  the  litter  appeared  in  the  doorway,  carry- 
ing what  looked  like  a bier  covered  with  a white 
sheet.  It  was  the  President  released  at  last.  He 
was  carried  by  Dr.  Boynton,  Colonel  Rockwell, 
Dr.  Bliss,  General  Swaim  and  Colonel  Rockwell’s 
brother.  It  took  but  a moment  to  place  the  litter 
on  the  spring  platform  arranged  for  its  reception. 
Colonel  Rockwell  guided  the  burden  at  the  head 
and  the  stalwart  form  of  Colonel  Corbin  steadied 
it  at  the  foot.  “ Easy,”  said  Corbin.  “ There  ; 
now  let  it  down,”  and  without  a jar  or  quiver  all 
was  arranged.  The  bed  of  the  wagon  was  wide 
enough  to  allow  the  litter-bearers  to  sit  on  the 
edge  of  the  boards,  and  they  took  their  places 
within  the  vehicle.  Colonel  Rockwell  sat  at  the 
right  side  of  the  President,  near  the  head,  and 
fanned  him  gently  to  keep  away  the  flies.  Next  on 
the  right  side  sat  Dr.  Bliss,  and  at  the  foot  stood 
Colonel  Corbin  and  Warren  Young,  one  of  the 
Executive  Clerks.  At  the  left  of  the  patient’s 
head  sat  Dr.  Boynton,  and  next  to  him  the  ever- 
faithful  Swaim. 

Then  the  horses  were  attached  and  the  wagon 
moved  slowly,  gently,  between  two  lines  of  rev- 
erent, hatless,  silent  people,  who  had  gathered  to 
show  their  profound  respect.  The  station  was 
reached,  and  without  accident  the  patient  Presi- 
dent was  transferred  to  the  special  car  that  had 


En  Route  for  Elberon 


■ 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


695 


been  prepared  by  the  thoughtfulness  of  the  Penn- 
sylvania Railroad  Company.  Then  the  train 
started  on  its  most  memorable  trip.  First  came 
the  engine  No.  628,  with  Engineer  Page  in  charge, 
then  the  President’s  car,  then  Colonel  Scott’s  pri- 
vate car.  Without  a sound,  as  gently  as  one 
could  step  away,  the  train,  with  its  precious  bur- 
den, at  6.46,  A.  M.,  started  away  for  Long  Branch. 
The  schedule  of  the  run,  which  will  live  in  our 
history  for  all  time,  was  as  follows : 


Distance.  Stations.  Time. 

Washington 6.46  A.  M. 

5 . . . . Benning’s 6.56  “ 

9 ...  . Wilson’s 7.04  “ 

12  . . . . Seabrook 7.11  “ 

17  . . . . Bowie 7.18  “ 

24  ...  . Odenton 7.29  “ 

27  ...  . Severn 7.34  “ 

34  ...  . Winans 7.48  “ 

37  . . . .St.  Agnes 7.54  « 

40  ...  . Fulton  Junction 7.59  “ 

42  . . . . Baltimore  (Charles  Street) 8.02  “ 

46  ...  . *Bay  View,  arrived 8.10  “ 

Departed 8.22  “ 

57  ...  . Chase’s 8.33  “ 

60  ...  . Magnolia 8.40 

68  ...  . Perryman's 8.49  “ 

73  ...  . Aberdeen 8.54  “ 

78  ...  . . Havre-de-Grace 8.59  “ 

79  ...  . Perryville 9.09  “ 

88  ...  . Northeast 9.22  “ 

94  . . . . Elkton . . . 9.31  « 

100  ....  Newark 9.39  •< 

106  ....  Stanton 9.46  “ 

112  . . . .Wilmington 9.55  « 


* Stopped  to  dress  the  President’s  wound. 


LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER  OF 


696 


Distance.  Stations.  Time. 

1 17  . . . . Bellevue 10.03  A.  M. 

125.  . . . *Lamokin,  arrived 10.12  “ 

Departed 10.21  “ 

126  . . . . Chester 10.25  ‘‘ 

130  . . . . Moore's 10.30  “ 

134  . . . . Paschall 10.35  “ 

137  ....  Gray’s  Ferry 10.39  “ 

139.  . . . West  Philadelphia 10.52  “ 

140  ....  Mantua 10.58  “ 

145  ....  North  Penn  Junction 11.05  “ 

147  ....  Frankford  Junction 11.08  “ 

150  ....  Tacony II. 14  “ 

156  ....  Cornwell 11.19  ‘‘ 

159  ....  Schenck’s 11.26  ‘‘ 

165  . . . . fTullytown 11.38  “ 

170  . . . . Morrisville 11.47  “ 

172  ....  Trenton  . . . . ^ 11.48^  “ 

181  ....  Princeton  Junction 11.59  “ 

187  . . . . Monmouth  Junction 12.07  P-  M. 

189  ....  Dayton 12. 10  “ 

192  ....  Jamesburg 12. 14  “ 

204  ....  Freehold 12.28  “ 

212  ....  Farmingdale 12.37  “ 

220  ....  Sea  Girt . 12.48  “ 

233  ....  Elberton  Station  (Long  Branch) 1.09  “ 

233 X • • • Francklyn  Cottage 1.20  “ 


The  cottage  selected  for  the  President’s  use  is 
that  owned  by  Mr.  C.  G.  Franklyn,  hardly  a hun- 
dred yards  from  the  sea.  When  he  was  placed  in 
his  room,  fronting  the  ocean,  his  pulse  was  102, 
when  he  left  Washington  it  was  1 14,  showing  that 
he  had  stood  the  journey  extremely  well.  Indeed, 
the  people  felt  that  he  had  only  to  get  to  the  sea- 
side to  start  on  his  way  to  recovery.  During  the 
day,  prayers  were  offered  in  many  States,  and  in 


Stopped  for  coal  and  water. 


f Stopped  for  water. 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


69  7 


hundreds  of  churches,  by  proclamation  of  the  dif- 
ferent Governors,  upon  Gov.  Hoyt’s  initiative. 
Thousands  upon  thousands  knelt  in  supplication 
to  the  Almighty  as  the  President  was  borne  along 
on  the  wings  of  prayer  to  the  haven  where  he 
would  be.  Wednesday  morning  the  first  bulletin 
for  the  day  seemed  indeed  a justification  of  the 
people’s  hopes  and  prayers.  The  President  had 
slept  well,  taken  his  nourishment  successfully,  his 
fever  had  left  him,  and  the  fatigue  of  his  journey 
had  disappeared  under  the  influences  of  the  breeze 
that  swept  from  the  Atlantic’s  waves  to  the  suf- 
ferer’s room. 


42 


698 


THE  LIFE  OF  PRESIDENT  GARFIELD. 


CHAPTER  XLV. 


THE  AGONY  ENDED. 

THE  eyes  of  all  the  world  bent  upon  Long 
Branch  discovered  soon  that  there  was 
something  wrong.  The  physicians  stated 
from  day  to  day  that  there  was  no  change  in  the 
patient’s  condition,  a statement  that  could  only 
mean  that  he  was  getting  worse  ; and  for  him  not 
to  gain  in  his  condition  indicated  the  worst.  The 
distrust  of  the  official  bulletins  had  grown  stronger 
with  each  day.  Everything  the  doctors  did  was 
discredited,  everything  they  said  doubted.  For 
evidence  of  a strong  and  dismal  character  was 
rapidly  accumulating.  The  President’s  cheerful- 
ness had  given  way;  he  had  no  more  courage  left. 
Disease  had  dragged  it  from  him  during  the  eleven 
weary  weeks  he  had  lain  prostrated  upon  the  bed 
of  pain.  During  the  early  hours  of  the  morning 
of  the  15th,  he  plaintively  called  to  his  attendant, 
“ Save  me  ; don’t  let  me  sink  !”  A cry  of  agony. 
The  pulse  had  touched,  during  the  night,  120. 
The  lung  trouble,  formally  announced  on  the  12th, 
was  increasing.  The  next  day,  Tuesday,  there 
was  a rally,  and  the  President  sat  in  a reclining 
chair  for  some  time.  On  Thursday,  however,  his 
condition  was  somewhat  worse,  and  on  Friday  this 


A CRY  OF  PA IX. 


699 


was  admitted.  He  was  weaker  both  in  body  and 
mind  and  a crisis  was  announced  as  approaching. 

Saturday,  the  beginning  of  the  twelfth  week  of 
the  President’s  agony,  was  another  critical  day. 
He  had  a chill  shortly  before  noon,  when  his  pulse 
ran  up  to  137.  Subsequently  he  rallied  and 
passed  a comparatively  comfortable  night.  Sun- 
day was  apparently  a more  comfortable  day  up  to 
the  hour  of  the  evening  dressing  of  the  wound, 
when  his  pulse  was  102.  Shortly  after,  however, 
he  had  another  chill,  lasting  ten  or  fifteen  minutes. 
It  was  short,  sharp  and  severe,  according  to  Dr. 
Bliss,  though  not  as  bad  as  that  on  Saturday. 
When  it  passed  off  he  fell  into  a quiet  slumber, 
and  though  the  apprehensions  of  those  around 
him  had  perceptibly  deepened,  there  was  nothing 
to  warrant  a speedily  fatal  result. 

Monday  morning  it  was  admitted  that  all  hope 
was  over.  During  the  morning  dressing  of  the 
wound  another  violent  chill  came  on,  and  the 
pulse  leaped  to  143.  The  surgeons  admitted  that 
there  was  no  hope  for  a change  for  the  better,  and 
poor  Mrs.  Garfield,  for  the  first  time  in  all  these 
weary  weeks,  felt  that  hope  had  fled  her  heart 
and  its  place  was  taken  by  grim  despair.  In 
spite  of  all  the  discouraging  symptoms,  however, 
such  was  the  sufferer’s  extraordinary  vitality,  that 
he  rallied  somewhat,  and  the  afternoon  passed 
with  no  further  chills  or  other  bad  features,  and 
by  9.30  P.  M.  he  was  sleeping  quietly.  This  was, 


700 


THE  LIFE  OF  PRESIDENT  GARFIELD. 


however,  but  the  pause  before  the  final  act  of  the 
President’s  life. 

Some  of  the  incidents  of  this — his  last  day  on 
earth — should  be  told  here.  The  day  opened 
gloomily  at  Elberon.  The  night  had  been  one  of 
comparative  comfort,  and  at  daybreak  the  physi- 
cians thought  the  President  was  a little  better.  He 
seemed  to  have  some  appetite  and  no  indications 
of  an  approaching  chill  were  noted.  The  insidious 
nature  of  these  attacks  was  again  made  manifest 
soon  after  8 o’clock.  The  President  had  been 
very  quiet  and  seemingly  comfortable.  Suddenly 
he  complained  of  chilliness.  His  body  was  wrapped 
in  warm  flannels,  and  he  was  sponged  with 
hot  alcohol,  but  the  rigor  could  not  be  averted. 
He  shivered,  and  every  muscle  in  his  body  was. 
rigid.  The  pulse  went  up  to  140  and  even  higher, 
but  it  was  so  thready  and  feeble  that  it  was  im- 
possible to  count  the  beats  after  they  had  passed 
that  figure.  There  was  great  danger  that  he 
would  sink  into  a comatose  state  after  the  rigor 
had  passed,  and  every  exertion  was  made  to  in- 
duce reaction.  Hot  flannels  were  applied  to  the 
feet,  and  a poultice  of  raw  onions  cut  fine  and 
steeped  in  alcohol  was  placed  upon  his  stomach. 
In  addition,  cooling  lotions  were  applied  to  the 
head,  and  the  arms  and  limbs  were  rubbed  vigor- 
ously. The  result  was  that  a reaction  was  estab- 
lished much  sooner  than  the  physicians  expected. 
After  fifteen  minutes  had  elapsed  Dr.  Bliss  noticed 


AN  ACCIDENT. 


701 


increasine  warmth  in  the  feet  and  at  the  same  time 
the  rigidity  of  the  muscles  was  observed  to  be  re- 
laxing. It  was  evident  that  the  rigor  was  passing 
away  in  about  half  the  time  which  the  first  one 
had  lasted.  That  one,  in  spite  of  the  most  vigorous 
treatment,  had  only  yielded  after  half  an  hour. 

The  vitality  of  the  President  once  more  aston- 
ished the  physicians.  Dr.  Agnew  said,  when  he 
came  from  the  sick  chamber,  “ The  vitality  of  the 
President  is  something  more  remarkable  than  I 
have  ever  met  with  in  all  my  practice.”  This  was 
said  to  Mrs.  Garfield  and  Private  Secretary  Brown. 
The  doctor  added  that  if  it  was  not  for  this  won- 
derful evidence  of  constitutional  strength  he  should 
feel  as  though  it  were  folly  to  cherish  any  hope. 

After  the  rigor  had  passed  the  President  fell 
asleep,  and  although  his  pulse  was  still  beating 
about  120,  yet  his  temperature  had  not  decreased 
more  than  a tenth  of  a degree  or  so  below  the 
normal  point.  He  awoke  in  about  twenty  minutes, 
and  said  to  Dr.  Bliss,  “ Doctor,  I feel  very  com- 
fortable, but  I also  feel  dreadfully  weak.  I wish 
you  would  give  me  the  hand  glass  and  let  me  look 
at  myself.” 

General  Swaim  said : “ Oh,  no.  Don’t  do  that, 
General.  See  if  you  cannot  get  some  sleep.” 

“ I want  to  see  myself,”  the  President  replied. 

Mrs.  Garfield  then  gave  him  the  hand  glass.  He 
held  it  in  a position  which  enabled  him  to  see  his 
face.  Mrs.  Garfield,  Dr.  Bliss,  Dr.  Agnew,  Gene- 


702 


THE  LIFE  OF  PRESIDENT  GARFIELD. 


ra.1  Swaim  and  Dr.  Boynton  stood  around  the  bed, 
saying  not  a word,  but  looking  at  the  President. 
He  studied  the  reflection  of  his  own  features.  At 
length  he  wearily  let  the  glass  fall  upon  the  coun- 
terpane, and,  with  a sigh,  said  to  Mrs.  Garfield: 
“ Crete,  I do  not  see  how  it  is  that  a man  who 
looks  as  well  as  I do  should  be  so  dreadfully 
weak.” 

In  a moment  or  two  he  asked  for  his  daughter 
Mollie.  They  told  him  that  she  would  come  to  see 
him  later  in  the  day.  He  said,  however,  that  he 
wanted  to  see  her  at  once.  Thereupon  Don  Rock- 
well went  to  the  beach,  where  Miss  Mollie  was  sit- 
ting with  Miss  Rockwell,  and  told  her  that  her  father 
wanted  to  see  her.  When  the  child  went  into  the 
room  she  kissed  her  father  and  told  him  that  she 
was  glad  to  see  that  he  was  looking  so  much  bet- 
ter. He  said,  “You  think  I do  look  better,  Mol- 
lie ?”  She  said,  “ I do,  papa,”  and  then  she  took  a 
chair  and  sat  near  the  foot  of  the  bed.  A mo- 
ment or  two  after  Dr.  Boynton  noticed  that  she 
was  swaying  in  the  chair.  He  stepped  up  to  her, 
but  before  he  could  reach  her  she  had  fallen 
over  in  a dead  faint.  In  falling,  her  face  struck 
against  the  bed-post,  and  when  they  raised  her 
from  the  floor  she  was  not  only  unconscious  but 
also  bleeding  from  the  contusion  she  had  received. 
They  carried  her  out  where  she  could  get  the  fresh 
. breeze  from  the  ocean,  and  after  restoratives  were 
applied,  she  speedily  recovered.  The  room  was 


NO  CHANCE. 


703 


close,  the  windows  were  closed,  and  Miss  Mollie 
has  not  been  very  well,  and  all  these  causes,  com- 
bined with  anxiety,  induced  the  fainting-  fit.  The 
President,  they  thought,  had  not  noticed  what  had 
happened  to  his  petted  child,  for  he  seemed  to 
have  sunk  into  the  stupor  which  has  characterized 
his  condition  much  of  the  time.  But  when  Dr. 
Boynton  came  back  into  the  room  he  was  aston- 
ished to  hear  the  President  say:  “Poor  little  Mol- 
lie! She  fell  over  like  a log.  What  was  the 
matter?”  They  assured  the  President  that  the 
fainting  fit  was  caused  by  the  closeness  of  the 
room,  and  that  she  was  quite  restored.  He  again 
sank  into  a stupor,  or  sleep,  which  lasted  until 
the  noon  examination.  This  stupor  was  not 
healthy  sleep.  The  President  frequently  muttered 
and  rolled  and  tossed  his  head  upon  the  pillow. 

Dr.  Agnew  came  from  the  cottage  at  about  11 
o’clock,  and  when  he  reached  the  veranda  of  the 
Elberon  he  found  a gentleman  with  a personal 
note  from  General  Grant.  The  ex-President  had 
been  to  Elberon  earlier  in  the  morning  at  the  time 
of  the  rigor  and  had  been  unable  to  see  any  of 
the  physicians.  As  he  came  back  across  the  lawn 
a personal  friend  met  him  and  asked  him  if  he 
had  heard  any  news.  He  said  that  he  had  just 
seen  Mrs.  Garfield  for  a moment,  she  having  come 
down  from  the  sick  chamber  to  speak  to  him,  and 
that  she  had  said  that  General  Garfield  had  been 
seized  with  another  rigor,  and  that  she  was  very 


704 


THE  LIFE  OF  PRESIDENT  GARFIELD. 


much  afraid  that  the  benefit  which  they  had  ob- 
served for  the  first  two  or  three  days  after  his 
arrival  was  not  permanent.  General  Grant  added 
that  the  indications  at  the  cottage  were  such  as  to 
give  very  slight  hopes,  and  that  he  should  not  go 
away,  even  to  New  York,  until  he  had  heard  more 
favorable  news. 

After  the  noon  examination  there  was  very  little 
change  in  the  President’s  condition,  except  that  it 
was  noticed  that  there  was  mental  confusion.  ' At 
the  same  time  the  President  was  doing  so  well, 
comparatively,  that  the  physicians  entertained  a 
slight  hope  that  the  evening,  and  possibly  the 
night,  would  pass  without  any  recurrence  of  rigors. 

No  better  picture  of  peace  could  have  been 
imagined  than  that  which  was  seen  from  the 
President’s  cottage  during-  the  hours  of  the  terri- 
ble  morning.  The  wind  of  the  last  few  days  had 
died  away.  The  waves  were  rolling  against  the 
bluffs  more  gently.  The  horizon  was  dotted  with 
the  sail  of  vessels  starting  out  to  sea  after  the 
storm.  The  air,  which  it  was  hoped  would  drive 
the  fatal  poison  from  the  President’s  blood,  moved 
in  a gentle  breeze  about  the  Francklyn  cottage. 
But  neither  medicine  nor  sea  air  had  the  power  to 
give  new  strength  to  the  suffering  President. 

Mrs.  Garfield  sat  for  a part  of  the  day  at  the 
window.  Her  face  was  pale  and  pinched,  but  it 
was  full  of  strength  and  resignation.  She  had 
been  told  of  the  doctor’s  fears,  and  she  was  pre- 


NO  CHANGE. 


705 


pared  for  the  worst.  A member  of  the  household 
during  these  anxious  morning  hours  sat  in  front 
of  the  cottage.  He  was  rebellious  at  the  fate  that 

o 

seemed  impending.  As  he  looked  gloomily  be- 
fore the  sea  he  said : “ All  life-giving  conditions 
seem  to  be  here — pure  air,  bright  skies,  kind 
friends — yet  they  seem  to  be  of  no  avail.  All  that 
medicine  can  do  has  been  done.  There  is  not  a 
rational  hope.  He  has  a faithful  home  circle, 
faithful  attendants,  and  a faithful  country.  One 
moment  we  feel  disposed  to  rend  Guiteau,  at  an- 
other we -remember  that  that  miserable  life  could 
not  help  the  poor  President.” 

“ Has  he  been  told  his  own  condition  ?”  was 
asked. 

“ He  does  not  need  to  be  told.  He  knows  it 
well,  and  has  for  weeks,  but  he  says  little  about 
it.  He  knew  it  when  he  took  the  hand  glass  this 
morninm” 

o 

A little  after  9 P.  M.,  Dr.  Bliss  entered  the  sick 
room  and  found  Mrs.  Garfield  alone  with  her  hus- 
band. He  asked  how  he  was,  and  Mrs.  Garfield 
replied  that  he  appeared  to  be  comfortable.  “Just 
before  he  fell  asleep,”  she  said,  “ he  told  me  he 
felt  quite  easy.  He  did  not  cough  much  and  did 
not  have  much  difficulty  spitting  out  what  came 
into  his  throat.”  Dr.  Bliss  timed  the  President’s 
pulse,  which  was  106.  A minute  later  he  awoke, 
and  Dr.  Bliss  asked  him : “ General,  how  do  you 
feel  now?” 


THE  LIFE  OF  PRESIDENT  GARFIELD . 


706 

“ Pretty  well.” 

“ Do  you  fell  any  discomfort  anywhere  ?” 

“ No.”  And  he  dozed  off  to  sleep. 

General  Swaim  and  Colonel  Rockwell  came  in 
to  begin  the  night  watch  and  Dr.  Bliss  left.  Mrs. 
Garfield  also  retired  to  her  room. 

Not  many  minutes  after,  the  weary  sufferer 
woke  and  said  sadly : “ O Swaim,  there  is  a 

pain  here !”  and  he  put  his  hand  upon  his 
heart. 

General  Swaim  stooped  over  the  patient  to  do 
something,  when  he  spoke  again  : 

“ Oh  ! oh  ! Swaim.” 

The  name  which  began  so  strong  on  his  lips 
died  into  a death-whisper  before  it  was  finished. 

Dr.  Bliss  coming  in  at  this  moment  recognized 
the  seal  of  death  had  been  set.  Sending  hurried]-,' 
the  family  and  physicians  were  summoned.  Mr: . 
Garfield  was  the  first  to  arrive.  By  the  side  of 
the  unconscious  dying  man  she  knelt,  his  hand  in 
hers,  just  in  the  old  loving  way  of  years  ago,  over 
which  her  tears  fell  fast.  Around  the  bedside 
with  overflowing  hearts  were  Dr.  Bliss,  Dr,  Agnew, 
Colonel  Rockwell,  General  Swaim,  Mrs.  Rockwell, 
Miss  Rockwell  and  Private  Secretary  Brown. 
Miss  Mollie  Garfield  was  beside  her  mother,  con- 
vulsed with  a great  passionate  grief. 

The  doctors  attempted  to  revive  the  dying  man 
but  to  no  use.  Though  unable  to  feel  the  pulsa- 
tions of  his  heart,  it  could  be  heard.  With  his 


The  Death-Bed  of  President  Garfield. 


THE  SAD  HEWS . 


707 


eyes  open,  but  greatly  extended,  and  his  body 
stretched,  he  died.  Death,  that  had  sat  a silent, 
patient  watcher  by  his  bedside,  arose,  passed  be- 
tween the  weeping,  powerless  mortals  who  had 
for  weeks  defied  him,  and  wrapping  the  black 
winding  sheet  about  the  life  of  the  beloved  Presi- 
dent,  bore  him  in  triumph  away. 

This  was  at  10.35  P-  M.,  Monday,  September 
19th,  1881.  And  so  closed  the  saddest  story  in 
the  history  of  the  American  nation. 

Slowly,  as  if  it  was  not  possible  to  realize  the 
awful  calamity  just  visited  upon  a sorrowing  peo- 
ple, the  witnesses  of  the  death  passed  out  and 
gave  the  news  to  the  world  beyond.  On  the 
wings  of  the  lightning  it  spread  north,  east,  south, 
west ; it  flashed  its  pregnant  way,  leaving  a broad 
track  of  universal  gloom.  Never  was  message  so 
bitter,  so  hard,  so  sad.  No  one  could  realize  that 
the  President  was  dead  that  the  bright  face,  the 
brave  words  of  James  Abram  Garfield  should  be 
seen  and  heard  no  more.  Death  had  taken  the 
most  shining  mark  in  all  this  great  Republic. 

The  sad  news  winged  its  way  westward  only  to 
carry  grief  into  every  household.  The  dead 
President’s  mother  was  at  the  home  of  her  son-in- 
law  at  Solon.  The  family  had  retired  to  rest  with 
but  little  hope.  Very  early  in  the  morning  a mes- 
senger appeared  with  the  fatal  news.  Mother  Gar- 
field was  not  awake,  and  it  was  at  once  concluded 
to  wait  until  she  had  arisen  and  taken  her  breakfast 


708 


THE  LIFE  OF  PRESIDENT  GARFIELD. 


before  telling  her  that  her  boy,  the  pride  of  hei 
life,  had  gone  home  to  his  Maker.  The  rest  of  the 
relatives  were  informed  and  then  the  query  arose, 
“ Who  will  break  the  news  to  mother  ?”  Mrs. 
Larabee’s  sister,  Mary,  was  finally  chosen  to  impart 
the  sad  tidings,  but  her  heart  failed  her.  About  8 
o’clock  Mrs.  Garfield  arose,  and  after  dressing, 
spent  some  time  in  reading  her  Bible,  as  is  her 
custom.  Then  she  went  into  the  dining-room, 
where  her  breakfast  was  ready.  Refreshed  by  a 
nig-ht  of  rest  she  was  more  cheerful  than  she  had 
been  for  several  days.  Mr.  Larabee,  unable  to 
conceal  his  emotion,  left  the  room.  Finally  the 
old  lady  turned  to  her  daughter,  Mary,  saying: 

“ Is  there  any  news  yet  this  morning,  Mary  ?” 

Mrs.  Larabee’s  heart  failed.  She  could  not  blast 
the  hopes  expressed  in  that  voice  and  exhibited  in 
that  dear  old  face. 

“ Eat  your  breakfast,  mother,”  she  said. 

“ But  I want  to  hear  from  my  James  first,”  said 
the  loving  mother. 

The  telegram  that  was  so  soon  to  bring  grief 
and  anguish  to  her  hopeful  mother  lay  on  the 
shelf,  and  seeing  it,  she  took  it  and  was  about  to 
read  it,  saying:  “Here  it  is  now.  I must  read  it 
before  I eat.”  Her  granddaughter,  Ellen  Larabee, 
fearing  that  so  sudden  a shock  would  be  fatal,  took 
the  dispatch  from  her  hand  and  said : 

“ I will  read  it  to  you,  grandma.  Are  you  pre- 
pared for — for — bad  news  ?” 


THE  MOTHER'S  SORROW. 


709 


“ Why,  no,”  said  grandma  ; “ I am  not  prepared 
for  bad  news,  and  there  isn’t  any  bad  news  this 
morning,  is  there?” 

“Yes,  grandma.” 

“O  Nellie,  he  is  not — he  cannot  be  dead?” 

“ Grandma,  his  spirit  passed  away  last  night.” 

“ Oh,  it  cannot  be.  It  must  not  be.  I cannot 
have  it  so.  My  James,  my  James  dead.  No,  I 
cannot  believe  you  ; let  me  see  the  dispatch.” 

She  read  it,  and  then  that  grand  old  heart  broke. 
Dropping  the  white  paper,  which  fell  to  the  floor, 
its  terrible  mission  performed,  she  fell  backwards 
into  a chair,  moaning  and  wringing  her  hands, 
while  the  bitter  tears  coursed  down  her  pale 
cheeks.  There  was  an  agony  that  speech  cannot 
express  or  pen  portray,  a mother  in  Israel  weeping 
for  her  son,  who  was  not,  and  refused  to  be  com- 
forted. The  boy  who  had  been  her  hope  and 
pride,  the  idol  of  her  heart,  was  dead. 

“ To-morrow  I will  be  80  years  old,  but  I will 
not  see  the  beginning  of  another  year.  James 
has  gone,  and  I shall  not  be  long  after  him.” 

But  hours  of  grief  have  their  duties  no  less  than 
the  hours  of  joy.  Those  at  the  head  of  the  gov- 
ernment immediately  took  steps  to  see  that  the 
government  continued  in  the  regular  way.  At 
12.25  A.  M.,  Tuesday  morning,  Attorney-General 
MacVeagh  sent  to  Vice-President  Arthur  the  fol- 
lowing dispatch,  Secretaries  Blaine  and  Lincoln 
being  absent : 


7io 


THE  LIFE  OF  PRESIDENT  GARFIELD. 


It  becomes  our  painful  duty  to  inform  you  of  the  death  of  President 
Garfield,  and  to  advise  you  to  take  the  oath  of  office  as  President  of  tha 
United  States  without  delay.  If  it  concurs  with  your  judgment,  we  will  be 
very  glad  if  you  will  come  here  on  the  earliest  train  to-morrow  morning. 

William  Windom,  Thomas  L.  James, 

Secretary  of  the  Treasury.  Postmaster-General. 

W.  H.  Hunt,  Wayne  MacVeagh, 

Secretary  of  the  Navy.  Attorney-General. 

S.  J.  Kiricwood,  Secretary  of  the  Interior. 

The  Vice-President  returned  this  answer : 

New  York,  September  19th. 

Hon.  Wayne  MacVeagh,  Attorney-  General,  Long  Branch  : I have 
your  telegram,  and  the  intelligence  fills  me  with  profound  sorrow.  Express 
to  Mrs.  Garfield  my  deepest  sympathies.  Chester  A.  Arthur. 

Mr.  Arthur  then  sent  messages  requesting  their 
presence — in  accordance  with  a dispatch  from  the 
Cabinet — to  the  different  Judges  of  the  Supreme 
Court  present  in  New  York.  The  first  to  arrive 
was  Judge  John  R.  Brady,  closely  followed  by 
Judge  Donahue.  The  party,  comprising  the  Vice- 
President  and  the  Judges  named,  District  Attor- 
ney Rollins,  Elihu  Root  and  the  eldest  son  of 
President  Arthur,  assembled  in  the  front  parlor  of 
Mr.  Arthur’s  residence,  and  the  oath  of  office  was 
then  administered.  ' 

This  brief,  significant  ceremony  took  place  at 
five  minutes  after  two  on  the  morning  of  Septem- 
ber 20th.  The  country  had  again  a President, 
and  the  government  its  constitutional  head.  And 
so  the  eventful,  sorrow-burdened  night  closed  in 
a morning  that  was  all  gloom  for  fifty  millions  of 
freemen. 


THE  OFFICIAL  AUTOPSY. 


711 


The  next  day  the  official  autopsy  took  place. 

This  autopsy  is  the  final  official  bulletin  in  this 
awful  history.  To  the  corps  of  doctors  who  had 
been  in  attendance  on  the  wounded  man  were 
added,  for  this  event,  Dr.  Andrew  H.  Smith,  of  El- 
beron,  and  Acting-  Assistant  Surgeon  D.  S.  Lamb, 
of  the  Army  Medical  Museum,  at  Washington. 
The  operation  was  performed  by  Dr.  Lamb,  and 
these  gentlemen  then  signed  the  following  report: 

“It  was  found  that  the  ball,  after  fracturing  the 
right  eleventh  rib,  had  passed  through  the  spinal 
column  in  front  of  the  spinal  canal,  fracturing  the 
body  of  the  first  lumbar  vertebra,  driving  a num- 
ber of  small  fragments  of  bone  into  the  adjacent 
soft  parts  and  lodging  below  the  pancreas,  about 
two  inches  and  a half  to  the  left  of  the  spine,  and 
behind  the  peritoneum,  where  it  had  become  com- 
pletely encysted. 

“The  immediate  cause  of  death  was  secondary 
hemorrhage  from  one  of  the  mesenteric  arteries 
adjoining  the  track  of  the  ball,  the  blood  ruptur- 
ing the  peritoneum,  and  nearly  a pint  escaping 
into  the  abdominal  cavity.  This  hemorrhage  is 
believed  to  have  been  the  cause  of  the  severe  pain 
in  the  lower  part  of  the  chest,  complained  of  just 
before  death. 

“An  abscess  cavity,  six  inches  by  four  in  dimen- 
sions was  found  in  the  vicinity  of  the  gall  bladder, 
between  the  liver  and  the  transverse  colon,  which 
were  strongly  adherent.  It  did  not  involve  the 


712 


THE  LIFE  OF  PRESIDENT  GARFIELD. 


substance  of  the  liver,  and  no  communication  was 
found  between  it  and  the  wound.  A long  suppu- 
rating channel  extended  from  the  external  wound 
between  the  loin  muscles  and  the  right  kidney 
almost  to  the  right  groin.  . 

“ This  channel,  now  known  to  be  due  to  the  bur- 
rowing of  pus  from  the  wound,  was  supposed 
during  life  to  have  been  the  track  of  the  ball.  On 
an  examination  of  the  organs  of  the  chest  evi- 
dences  of  severe  bronchitis  were  found  on  both 
sides,  with  broncho-pneumonia  of  the  lower  por- 
tions of  the  right  lung,  and,  though  to  a much  less 
extent,  of  the  left.  The  lungs  contained  no  ab- 
scesses and  the  heart  no  clots.  The  liver  was 
enlarged  and  fatty,  but  free  from  abscesses.  Nor 
were  any  found  in  any  other  organ,  except  the  left 
kidney,  which  contained  near  its  surface  a small 
abscess  about  one-third  of  an  inch  in  diameter. 

“In  reviewing  the  history  of  the  case,  in  connec- 
tion with  the  autopsy,  it  is  quite  evident  that  the 
different  suppurating  surfaces,  and  especially  the 
fractured  spongy  tissue  of  the  vertebra,  furnish 
a sufficient  explanation  of  the  septic  condition 
which  existed.” 

Wednesday  morning  was  as  lovely  an  autumn 
morning-  as  Long  Branch  had  ever  known.  Until 
7 A.  M.,  the  scene  at  Elberon  was  one  of  profound 
quiet.  Only  the  uniformed  guards  slowly  pacing 
the  grass  surrounding  the  Francklyn  cottage  gave 
signs  that  there  was  life  about.  Soon  after  that 


SERVICES  AT  ELBE  RON 


7T3 


hour,  some  of  the  doctors  appeared,  on  their  way 
to  Washington  ; and,  as  though  their  coming  was 
the  signal,  the  place  was  at  once  peopled.  The 
guard  was  doubled.  Carriages  began  to  arrive, 
and  their  occupants  gathered  on  the  hotel  porch. 
Servants,  and  undertakers’  assistants  came  out  of 
and  went  into  the  cottage.  By  eight  o’clock 
about  five  hundred  persons,  in  holiday  attire, 
had  assembled  on  the  grass  in  a long,  dense 
line,  close  up  to  the  beat  of  the  outermost 
sentries  and  the  roadway  bordering  the  hotel 
grounds  was  packed  with  vehicles.  The  utmost 
good  order  prevailed.  All  faces  were  sad  and  no 
loud  words  were  spoken,  the  grief  was  too  respect- 
ful for  demonstration.  There  were  occasional 
incidents  that  testified  strongly  to  the  depth  of 
popular  feeling.  Among  the  crowd  were  many 
country  people — farmers  and  fishermen  and  their 
wives.  One  of  these,  a lank,  ungainly  Jerseyman, 
in  ill-fitting  store  clothes,  with  long,  faded  locks,  a 
consumptive  bend  to  his  shoulders,  and  a thin 
goatee  that  stuck  forward  almost  horizontally  half  a 
dozen  inches  from  his  pointed  chin,  sauntered  aim- 
lessly into  the  hotel  office.  In  one  corner  upon  an 
easel  stood  a large  framed  steel  portrait  of  the  mur- 
dered President,  heavily  draped  in  black.  After 
awhile  this  attracted  the  Jerseyman's  attention. 
Instantly  his  slouched  hat  came  off,  and,  approach- 
ing reverently,  he  gazed  upon  the  picture  for  a 
few  moments.  Then,  noticing  that  several  flies 
43 


THE  LIFE  OF  FRESIDEWT  GARFIELD . 


7H 

had  settled  upon  the  glass,  he  whipped  a large 
bandanna  handkerchief  from  his  coat-tail  pocket 
and  whisked  them  away.  For  fifteen  minutes  he 
stood  thus  keeping  the  flies  off  the  portrait.  His 
demeanor  was  simply  solemn  and  respectful. 
There  was  nothing  ludicrous  in  his  action,  it  was 
highly  pathetic,  and  moved  all  hearts — that  one 
touch  of  nature  that  makes  the  whole  world  kin ! 

At  8.45  o’clock  a signal  was  given  to  allow  the 
people  to  come  forward  and  take  a last  look  upon 
the  dead  face  of  the  nation’s  chief.  Instantly 
they  began  to  stream  toward  the  north-west  en- 
trance to  the  cottage  between  files  of  soldiery  sta- 
tioned at  intervals  to  keep  them  in  line.  The 
casket  had  been  placed  upon  a bier  in  the  centre 
of  the  room  leading  off  the  veranda  at  that  corner 
of  the  edifice.  It  was  a plainly-furnished  room, 
with  ingrain  carpet  upon  the  floor  and  chintz  cur- 
tains in  the  windows.  The  furniture  had  all  been 
removed.  The  closed  blinds  made  the  light  dim, 
particularly  on  suddenly  entering  from  the  outer 
air.  A soldier  stood  guard  in  each  corner.  The 
upper  half  of  the  coffin-lid  was  absent,  disclosing 
the  head  and  chest  of  the  President  only.  Two 
crossed  sago  palm-leaves  lay  upon  the  lower  half. 
There  were  no  flowers.  As  the  people  entered, 
they  divided  and  passed  by  on  both  sides  of  the 
coffin  at  once,  going  out  of  a door  leading  toward 
the  sea.  Those  who  were  disposed  to  linger  were 
hurried  on  by  the  guards.  The  President’s  face 


VIEWING  THE  REMAINS. 


715 


was  ghastly.  The  skin  was  drawn  tightly  over 
the  projecting  bones,  except  on  the  forehead, 
There  it  was  deeply  corrugated.  The  lips  were 
apart,  disclosing  the  set  teeth.  The  hair  had 
whitened  perceptibly.  No  signs  of  the  parotid 
swelling  or  incisions  were  visible,  but  the  face  was 
blotched  and  covered  with  black  specks — the 
result,  partly,  of  the  taking  of  a plaster  cast 
of  the  face.  A similar  operation  on  the  right 
hand  had  disfigured  it  so  that  it  was  deemed  best 
to  conceal  it.  It  lay  stiffly  along  the  side.  The 
left  hand  was  thrust  partly  within  the  buttoned 
coat  in  the  attitude  which  was  a favorite  one  with 
General  Garfield  in  life.  The  body  was  attired  in 
the  same  suit  of  black  clothing  which  he  wore  at 
the  inauguration  ceremonies  last  March,  and  the 
same  black  satin  tie  was  knotted  under  his  collar 
points. 

For  an  hour  the  people  passed  in  and  out,  with 
occasional  breaks  in  the  steady  stream.  At  9.30, 
carriages  containing  Chief-Justice  Waite,  of  the 
Supreme  Court  ; Secretary  and  Mrs.  Blaine, 
Secretary  and  Mrs.  Windom,  Secretary  and  Mrs. 
Hunt,  Postmaster-General  and  Mrs.  James,  Sec- 
retaries Lincoln  and  Kirkwood,  Ridgly  Hunt,  son 
of  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy  ; C.  F.  James,  son  of 
the  Poatmaster-General ; Chief  Clerk  John  R.  Van 
Wormer,  of  the  Post  Office  Department;  Mr.  Jay 
Stone,  Private  Secretary  of  Secretary  Lincoln,  and 
Superintendent  John  Jamison,  of  the  Railway  Mail 


716 


THE  LIFE  OF  PRESIDENT  GARFIELD. 


Service,  drove  up  from  the  West  End,  and  the 
sentries  threw  forward  their  muskets  and  refused 
to  allow  any  more  to  enter.  The  family  and  inti- 
mate friends  took  a last  and  affecting  look  at  the 
remains,  and  then  the  undertaker  shut  out  the 
light  from  James  A.  Garfield’s  face  forever. 

At  Mrs.  Garfield’s  request,  the  Rev.  Charles  J. 
Young,  of  Long  Branch,  held  a short  funeral 
service.  Opening  the  Scriptures,  he  read  from 
Revelation,  xiv,  13  : 

“ Blessed  are  the  dead  who  die  in  the  Lord.  Yea,  saith  the  Spirit,  that 
they  may  rest  from  their  labors,  and  their  works  do  follow  them.” 

“We  know,”  he  said,  “that  if  our  earthly  house  of  this  tabernacle  were 
dissolved,  we  have  a building  of  God,  a house  not  made  with  hands,  eternal 
in  the  heavens.  Therefore  we  are  always  confident,  knowing  that  while  we 
are  at  home  in  the  body  we  are  absent  from  the  Lord.  We  are  confident, 
I say,  and  willing  rather  to  be  absent  from  the  body  and  to  be  present  with 
the  Lord.  For  to  me  to  live  is  Christ,  and  to  die  is  gain.  I am  in  a strait 
betwixt  two,  having  a desire  to  depart  and  to  be  with  Christ,  which  is  far 
better ; there  the  wicked  cease  from  troubling,  and  the  weary  are  at  rest. 
And  there  shall  be  no  more  death,  neither  sorrow  nor  crying ; neither  shall 
there  be  any  more  pain.  And  there  shall  be  no  night  there,  and  they  need 
no  candle,  neither  light  of  the  sun,  for  the  Lord  God  giveth  them  light,  and 
they  shall  reign  for  ever  and  ever.  Behold,  I show  you  a mystery.  We 
shall  not  all  sleep,  but  we  shall  all  be  changed,  in  a moment,  in  the  twinkling 
of  an  eye,  at  the  last  trump.  For  this  corruptible  must  put  on  incorruption, 
and  this  mortal  must  put  on  immortality;  so  when  this  corruptible  shall 
have  put  on  incorruption,  and  this  mortal  shall  have  put  on  immortality, 
then  shall  be  brought  to  pass  the  saying  that  is  written,  death  is  swallowed 
up  in  victory.  O death,  where  is  thy  sting  ? O grave,  where  is  thy  victory  ? 
The  sting  of  death  is  sin ; and  the  strength  of  sin  is  the  law.  But  thanks  be 
to  God,  who  giveth  us  the  victory,  through  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  Let  us 
pray. 

“ O Thou  who  walked  through  the  grave  of  Bethany,  that  open  grave  of 
the  brother  in  Bethany ! O Thou  who  hadst  compassion  on  the  widow  of 
Nain  as  she  bore  her  beloved  dead ! O Thou  who  are  the  same  yesterday, 
to-day  and  forever,  in  whom  is  no  variableness  nor  shadow  of  turning,  have 


THE  BRIEF  PR  A YER. 


yi? 


mercy  upon  us  at  this  hour,  when  our  souls  have  nowhere  else  to  fly ! But 
we  fly  to  Thee.  Thou  knowest  these  sorrows  that  we  bow  under.  O Thou 
God  of  the  widow,  help  this  stricken  heart  before  Thee.  Help  these 
children  and  those  that  are  not  here.  Be  their  father.  Help  her  in  the 
distant  State  who  watched  over  him  in  childhood.  Help  this  nation  that 
is  to-day  bleeding  and  bowed  before  Thee.  O sanctify  this  heavy  chastise- 
ment to  its  good.  Help  those  associated  with  him  in  the  Government.  O 
Lord,  grant  from  the  darkness  of  this  night  of  sorrow  there  may  arise  a 
better  day  for  the  glory  of  God  and  the  good  of  man.  We  thank  Thee  for 
the  record  of  the  life  that  is  closed,  for  its  heroic  devotion  to  principle.  We 
thank  Thee,  O Thou  Lord,  that  he  wes  Thy  servant,  that  he  preached  Thee, 
Thy  noble  life  and  example,  and  that  we  can  say  of  him  now,  ‘ Blessed  are 
the  dead  who  die  in  the  Lord,  their  works  do  follow  them.’  Now,  Lord, 
go  with  this  sorrowing  company  in  this  last  sad  journey.  Go,  bear  them 
up  and  strengthen  them.  O God,  bring  us  all  at  last  to  the  morning  that 
has  no  shadow,  the  home  that  has  no  tears,  the  land  that  has  no  death,  for 
Christ’s  sake.  Amen.” 


A short  prayer  followed,  impressive,  solemn,  an 
appeal  to  the  Great  Creator  for  guidance  and  help, 
to  bless  the  blow  that  had  struck  the  nation,  and 
the  service  was  over.  During  its  continuance, 
the  funeral  train  backed  up  around  the  curve  of 
the  temporary  track,  until  the  side  door  of  the 
second  of  the  four  cars  was  directly  opposite  the 
cottage  balcony,  fronting  the  sea.  This  was  the 
one  destined  to  carry  the  President’s  body.  It  was 
numbered  497.  The  seats  had  been  removed,  and 
the  entire  interior,  except  the  windows  and  the 
floor,  which  was  carpeted,  had  been  covered  with 
black  cloth.  This  was  relieved  by  a cornice  com- 
posed of  small  flags  festooned  closely  together, 
their  points  of  jointure  being  covered  with  black 
rosettes.  The  exteriors  of  all  the  cars  were 
paneled  with  black  cloth,  plaited  toward  the  centre, 


7i8 


THE  LIFE  OF  PRESIDENT  GARFIELD. 


and  there  set  off  with  rosettes.  Very  little  of  the 
dark  red  wood-work  was  visible.  The  end  car 
was  another  sectional  car  for  baggage  and  pas- 
sengers. It  was  numbered  248.  On  the  other 
side  of  the  hearse  car  was  a first-class  passenger 
car — not  a parlor  car — intended  for  President 
Arthur,  the  members  of  the  Cabinet  and  their 
friends.  It  was  numbered  395.  The  first  car  on 
the  temporary  track  was  President  Robert's 
special  drawing-room  car,  No.  120,  in  which  Mrs. 
Garfield  and  her  household  rode  to  Long  Branch, 
and  in  which  she  was  to  return  to  Washington. 
Behind  it  was  attached  engine  No.  4,  on  the  sides 
of  which  black  drapery  fluttered  in  the  breeze. 

At  9.46  o’clock  the  Governor  of  New  Jersey 
and  his  staff  marched  into  the  cottage  in  double 
file.  They  were  accompanied  by  several  members 
of  the  Legislature  and  Representatives  of  the 
State  in  Congress.  Hardly  had  they  disappeared 
through  the  rear  door,  than  another  procession, 
also  in  double  file,  walked  out  of  the  front  door 
in  the  opposite  direction.  Every  head  was  bared 
instantly.  General  Swaim  led  the  way.  Next 
came  Mrs.  Garfield,  with  her  arm  through  that  of 
her  son  Harry.  Her  long  crape  veil  concealed 
her  features,  but  she  walked  with  a quick,  springy 
step,  and  mounted  the  steps  of  the  parlor  car 
without  assistance.  Behind  her  came  Miss  Mollie: 
Garfield  and  Colonel  Rockwell’s  daughter.  Miss. 
Mollie’s  eyes  were  red  with  much  weeping,  but. 


MN  ROUTE  TO  WASHINGTON. 


7*9 

her  manner  was  entirely  composed.  Colonel  and 
Mrs.  Rockwell,  Dr.  Boynton,  and  C.  O.  Rockwell; 
and  Private  Secretary  Brown  and  Executive  Sec- 
retary Young  followed,  and  all  entered  car  No; 
120.  A moment  later,  six  undertaker’s  assistants* 
slowly  carrying  the  coffin,  appeared  upon  the  cob 
tage  balcony.  They  took  it  into  car  No.  497  and 
placed  it  upon  a draped  dais  in  the  centre.  A 
tall  cross  of  yellow  and  white  rosebuds,  carnations* 
tuberoses  and  smilax  stood  on  the  carpet  in  front 
so  that  its  top  leaned  against  the  head  of  the  94s* 
ket.  A large  pillow  of  similar  flowers  was  laid 
upon  the  floor  at  the  foot.  Four  regular  soldiers 
seated  themselves  on  guard,  one  in  each  corner. 
The  members  of  the  Cabinet  and  their  wives  en- 
tered the  second  car,  as  did  also  Chief-Justice 
Waite,  the  sons  of  Secretary.  Hunt  and  Post- 
master-General James,  Messrs.  Van  Warner  and 
Jamison,  of  the  Post  Office  Department;  Colonel 
Corbin,  ex-Sheriff  Daggett,  of  Brooklyn ; Dr. 
Reyburn,  and  the  late  President’s  attendants.  A 
squad  of  ten  soldiers  and  a Corporal  of  the  First 
Artillery,  under  command  of  Lieutenant  Patter- 
son, marched  around  the  cottage  with  arms  re- 
versed, and  took  seats  in  the  first  car.  A little  delay 
followed,  but  at  length,  at  10.01  o’clock,  the  train 
moved  slowly  forward.  At  the  same  instant  the 
little  Elberon  church  bell  began  to  toll,  and  the 
multitude  doffed  their  hats  in  silence.  The  train 
stopped  on  the  main  track,  about  300  yards  to  the 


720 


THE  LIFE  OF  PRESIDENT  GARFIELD. 


north  of  Elberon  depot,  and  engine  No.  658,  which 
had  brought  the  sick  President  to  Long  Branch, 
backed  up  and  was  made  fast  to  it.  The  same 
engineer,  conductor  and  other  employes  of  the 
Pennsylvania  Railroad  who  officiated  then,  were  in 
charge  now.  At  12.12*^  the  conductor  shouted 
“all  right,”  and  the  train  started  on  its  melancholy 
journey  to  the  capital  so  different  from  that  strange 
wild  ride  to  the  sea,  when  the  dying  President  was 
borne  away  from  the  capital  on  the  hopes  and 
prayers  of  all  nations. 

The  journey  from  the  ocean  to  Washington  was 
sombre  in  the  extreme.  The  drapery  of  mourn- 
ing was  almost  everywhere  to  be  seen.  Flags 
were  flying  at  half-mast,  and  festoons  of  black 
hung  even  from  the  roofs  of  great  factories.  In  the 
sparsely  settled  country,  farmers  and  women  and 
children  were  standing  in  the  fields.  At  Princeton 
Junction  the  students  had  covered  the  iron  rails 
with  beautiful  flowers  in  great  profusion  and  the 
bells  were  tolling.  All  along  the  line  the  people 
had  gathered  to  pay  their  last  tribute  of  respect 
to  the  dead  and  silently  offer  sympathy  to  the 
stricken  relatives  and  friends.  At  Philadelphia 
there  were  great  crowds  at  every  spot  from  which 
the  train  could  be  seen.  The  bridges  which  span 
the  track  were  filled  with  silent  people,  and  the 
banks  by  the  side  of  the  railway  were  thickly 
covered.  All  were  thoughtful  and  serious  ; even 
the  children  were  under  the  shadow  of  the  na- 


ARRIVAL  AT  WASHINGTON. 


721 


tion’s  loss  and  stood  in  silence.  As  the  train 
passed  on,  the  same  scenes  were  repeated.  The 
people  of  the  United  States  had  abandoned  busi- 
ness and  pleasure,  and  through  their  ranks  the 
dead  body  of  the  President  was  swiftly  passing  to 
the  capital. 

The  special  train  was  preceded  by  the  limited 
express,  which  is  due  in  Washington  at  4 o’clock. 
Upon  it  were  Dr.  Woodward,  Dr.  Barnes,  Dr. 
Lamb,  Senator  Jones,  of  Nevada,  who  joined 
the  party  on  the  special  train  at  Gray’s  Ferry ; 
Senator  Kellogg,  Frederick  Douglass,  and  other 
prominent  gentlemen.  Soon  after  it  reached 
the  depot  it  was  taken  away,  and  the  terminus  of 
the  track  was  made  clear  for  the  train,  which  was 
close  behind  it.  Upon  the  platform  were  long 
lines  of  army  and  navy  officers,  led  by  General 
Sherman  and  Rear-Admiral  Nichols.  The  station 
was  heavily  draped  in  mourning.  In  the  streets 
around  it  were  thousands  of  people,  and  the 
military  and  civic  bodies  which  were  to  form  part 
of  the  escort.  The  windows  of  the  adjoining 
houses  and  hotels  were  filled  with  men  and 
women. 

At  4.29  the  special  train  was  seen  rounding  the 
curve  below  the  station,  and  almost  immediately 
afterward  it  slowly  entered  the  depot.  All  heads 
were  uncovered  as  the  heavily  draped  engine  and 
cars  rolled  in.  The  engine  was  the  one  which 
had  drawn  the  suffering  President  to  Elberon. 


THE  LIFE  OF  PRESIDENT  GARFIELD. 


J22 

For  a moment  there  was  no  sound.  The  crape- 
'covered  train  seemed  to  be  a messenger  from 
■another  world.  Then  the  widow  of  the  President, 
heavily  veiled  and  in  deep  mourning,  descended 
from  one  of  the  cars  assisted  by  Secretary  Blaine, 
whose  pale  face  and  heavy  eyes  betoken  the  suf- 
fering through  which  he  has  been  passing.  Then 
came  the  President’s  son  Harry.  Supported  'by 
(these  two,  one  upon  each  side,  the  noble  woman 
"walked  slowly  toward  the  exit.  These  three  were 
"followed  by  General  Swaim,  Colonel  Rockwell,  Mrs. 
Rockwell,  Mollie  Garfield,  Lulu  Rockwell,  and  other 
members  of  the  little  band  of  relatives  and  friends 
whose  untiring  devotion  to  the  suffering  President 
has  become  known  to  all  the  world.  In  the  group 
were  Dr.  Boynton  and  Marshal  Henry,  arm  in 
arm.  The  doctor,  sadly  worn  by  sleepless  watch- 
ing and  anxiety,  seemed  to  be  struggling  to  sup- 
press emotion  which  threatened  to  overcome  him. 
The  honest  face  of  the  sturdy  Marshal  was  gloomy 
and  despondent.  Near  these  was  the  tall  form  of 
President  Arthur,  and  close  at  hand  were  Chief- 
justice  Waite  and  ex-President  Grant.  The  mem- 
bers of  the  Cabinet  completed  the  party.  Then 
the  coffin  containing  the  body  of  the  President 
was  taken  from  the  car  and  placed  upon  the 
shoulders  of  eight  United  States  artillerymen,  who 
bore  it  slowly  toward  the  gate.  Just  before  reach- 
ing the  street,  they  halted,  and  then  from  the  band 
in  waiting  outside  came  the  strains  of  “ Nearer, 


TO  THE  CAPITOL. 


723 


my  God,  to  Thee,”  played  with  rare  tenderness. 
The  occasion  was  one  that  brought  tears  into 
many  eyes.  When  the  last  note  had  died  away, 
the  coffin  was  placed  in  the  hearse. 

The  funeral  train  was  not  expected  to  reach 
Washington  until  between  four  and  five  o’clock  in 
the  afternoon,  but  as  early  as  one  o’clock  people 
began  to  assemble  about  the  depot  and  to  take 
up  favorable  positions  on  Pennsylvania  Avenue, 
to  witness  the  cortege  as  it  moved  to  the  Capitol. 
Before  four  o’clock  the  crowds  about  the  depot 
were  so  largfe  that  the  running-  of  the  street-cars 
had  to  be  suspended,  while  Pennsylvania  Avenue, 
from  Sixth  Street  to  the  Capitol,  was  literally 
blockaded  with  all  classes.  The  funeral  proces- 
sion was  to  move  directly  to  the  east  front  of  the 
Capitol  by  way  of  Pennsylvania  Avenue,  the 
marching  distance  being  about  three-quarters  of 
a mile.  Policemen,  mounted  and  on  foot,  guarded 
both  sides  of  the  broad  avenue,  to  prevent  the 
crowds  from  pressing  on  the  flanks  of  the  proces- 
sion and  to  keep  all  vehicles  from  driving  on  or 
crossing  over  it  while  the  procession  was  in  motion. 
Ropes  were  stretched  along  the  curb  lines,  and 
behind  these  the  people  were  packed  so  closely 
that  locomotion  was  impossible.  Not  only  were 
the  sidewalks  filled  with  sorrowing  people,  anxious 
to  witness  the  funeral  honors  paid  the  late  Presi- 
dent, but  the  windows  and  roofs  of  houses  on 
both  sides  of  the  avenue  were  crowded  with  spec- 


THE  LIFE  OF  PRESIDENT  GARFIELD. 


724 

tators,  while  the  Capitol  Park  and  the  terraces 
and  esplanade  of  the  great  white  building,  beneath 
whose  dome  the  body  of  the  dead  President  is 
now  temporarily  resting,  were  crowded  with  those 
who  sought  that  locality  to  witness  the  sad  pageant. 
About  three  o’clock  the  several  military  corps 
designated  to  escort  the  body  to  the  Capitol,  began 
to  arrive  and  take  position  at  the  railroad  depot. 
Long  before  the  train  arrived,  everything  was  in 
readiness.  The  military  formed  a long  line, 
stretching  southward  along  Sixth  Street  in  front 
of  the  depot  and  its  grounds,  and  to  the  left  of 
the  military  were  several  commanderies  of  Knights 
Templar  and  other  Masonic  bodies,  the  late  Presi- 
dent having  been  a member  of  the  order  within 
the  jurisdiction  of  Washington. 

At  4.30  o’clock  the  bugle  of  General  Ayres, 
commanding  the  escort,  sounded  the  “ assembly,” 
which  was  the  signal  of  the  approach  of  the  funeral 
train,  and  before  the  harsh  notes  of  the  bugle  had 
died  away,  the  train  with  its  sombre  trimmings 
and  decorations  was  seen  winding  gracefully 
around  the  curve  that  terminates  within  the  depot 
limits.  Those  persons  who  were  admitted  to  the 
depot  stood  with  uncovered  heads  as  Mrs.  Gar- 
field and  others  of  the  late  President’s  family  and 
official  household  passed  out  to  the  carriages  that 
were  waiting  to  receive  them.  As  soon  as  those 
who  accompanied  the  body  from  Long  Branch  had 
left  the  depot,  eight  non-commissioned  officers  of 


THE  PROCESSION. 


725 


the  Second  Artillery,  detailed  for  the  purpose, 
lifted  the  body  of  President  Garfield  from  the  car 
and  bore  it  along  the  platform  to  the  main  room 
of  the  depot,  approaching  within  a few  feet  of  the 
spot  where  he  fell  when  struck  by  the  bullet  of  the 
assassin,  and  passing  out  of  the  east,  or  Sixth 
Street  door,  deposited  the  coffin  with  its  precious 
contents  on  the  hearse,  the  troops  presenting  arms 
and  the  Marine  Band  playing  “Nearer,  my  God, 
to  Thee.”  Following  the  body  came  officers  of 
the  army  and  navy  to  the  number  of  about  two 
hundred,  wearing  the  full-dress  uniform  of  their 
respective  ranks,  and  headed  by  General  Sher- 
man and  Admiral  Nichols,  respectively.  These 
officers  formed  in  ranks  of  two  on  each  side  of  the 
hearse,  the  army  officers  being  on  the  right,  and 
the  lines  extending  for  some  distance  behind  the 
funeral  car,  which  was  drawn  by  six  gray  horses, 
each  horse  being  led  by  a colored  groom,  and 
grooms  and  horses  wearing  the  customary  mourn- 
ing trappings.  Preceding  the  hearse  were  car- 
riages containing  President  Arthur,  members  of 
the  Cabinet,  and  others  who  were  close  to  the  late 
President.  Mrs.  Garfield,  Miss  Mollie  and  Harry 
Garfield,  after  entering  their  own  carriage,  were 
driven  directly  to  the  house  of  Attorney-General 
MacVeagh,  whose  guests  they  will  remainuntil  they 
leave  Washington.  The  carriages  were  filled  in 
the  following  order:  First  carriage,  Mrs.  Garfield, 
Miss  Mollie  and  Harry  Garfield,  Mrs.  Rockwell 


726 


THE  LIFE  OF  PRESIDENT  GARFIELD. 


and  daughter;  second,  Mrs.  MacVeagh  and  Mrs. 
Lineoln  ; third,  Mrs.  Blaine  and  Mrs.  Fred.  Grant; 
fourth,  ex-President  Grant,  Senator  Jones,  of  Ne- 
vada, who  joined  the  funeral  train  below  Philadel- 
phia, and  General  Beale ; fifth,  President  Arthur 
(looking  sad  and  troubled),  Secretaries  Blaine  and 
Windom,  and  Chief-Justice  Waite  ; sixth,  Secreta- 
ries Lincoln,  Kirkwood  and  Hunt;  seventh,  At- 
torney-General MacVeagh  and  Postmaster-Gen- 
eral James.  Then  followed  carriages  containing 
Private  Secretary  Brown,  General  Swaim,  Colonels 
Rockwell  and  Corbin,  Dr.  Boynton,  and  a few 
others. 

Everything  being  in  readiness,  the  troops 
wheeled  into  column,  the  bands  struck  up  a fune- 
ral march,  and  the  procession  moved  toward  the 
Capitol  in  the  following  order: 


Mounted  Police. 

General  Ayres  and  staff. 

Colonel  Amos  Webster  and  staff. 

Washington  Light  Infantry,  four  companies,  Colonel  Moore  commanding. 
Union  Veterans,  Captain  Thomasson. 

National  Rifles,  Captain  Burnside. 

Washington  Light  Guard,  Lieutenant  Hodson. 

Capital  City  Guards,  Captain  Keeley. 

Battalion  of  United  States  Marines. 

Four  companies  of  Second  United  States  Artillery,  marching  as  infantry, 
and  one  light  battery. 

Washington  and  Columbia  Commanderies  Knights  Templar,  and 
other  Masonic  Societies. 


As  the  procession  moved  down  Pennsylvania 
Avenue  with  draped  flags,  muffled  drums  and 


at  the  caepfol. 


m 

solemn  music,  the  thousands  of  sorrowing  spec- 
tators involuntarily  contrasted  the  scene  of  to-day 
with  that  which  was  witnessed  a little  more  than 
six  months  ago,  when  President  Garfield  was  the 
great  central  figure,  and  when  drums  were  rolled 
and  colors  were  dipped  in  honor  of  his  inaugura- 
tion as  President  of  the  United  States,  and 
when  15,000  uniformed  citizen-soldiers  from  vari- 
ous States  proudly  marched  in  review  before  him. 
Then  the  populace  lining  the  sidewalks  manifested, 
their  feelings  in  glad  shouts  and  enthusiastic 
cheers ; now  the  same  populace  stood  with  bowed 
heads  and  tearful  eyes  as  the  dead  President  was 
borne  back  to  the  place  at  which  he  so  recently 
took  the  oath  of  office.  The  procession  moved 
to  the  Capitol  by  the  same  route  that  was  taken 
by  the  inauguration  procession  in  March  lasc, 
passing  around  the  south  or  House  wing  of  the 
Capitol. 

On  arriving  at  the  east  front,  the  troops  were 
again  wheeled  into  line,  and  as  the  hearse  and 
carriages  drove  up  to  the  main  entrance  of  the 
building,  the  customary  salute  was  paid.  Those 
Senators  and  members  of  the  House  of  Represen- 
tatives who  were  in  the  city  assembled  and  pro- 
ceeded to  the  east  front  of  the  Capitol  to  receive 
the  body,  and  upon  its  arrival  formed  two  lines 
with  open  ranks  at  the  foot  of  the  main  stairway 
in  the  following  order : Sergeants-at-Arms  Thomp- 
son, of  the  House,  and  Bright,  of  the  Senate ; 


728 


THE  LIFE  OF  PRESIDENT  GARFIELD. 


Clerk  Adams  and  Door-keeper  Fields,  of  the 
House ; Representatives  Tucker  and  Dezendorf, 
of  Virginia;  Wilson,  of  West  Virginia  ; Townsend, 
of  Ohio;  Thomas,  of  Illinois;  Shelley,  of  Alabama; 
Urner,  of  Maryland;  Delegate  Luna,  of  New 
Mexico  ; Senators  Ingalls,  of  Kansas  ; Garland,  of 
Arkansas  ; Kellogg,  of  Louisiana  ; Pugh,  of  Ala- 
bama ; Davis,  of  West  Virginia;  Associate  Jus- 
tices of  the  Supreme  Court  Harlan  and  Matthews 
and  ex-Justice  Strong.  The  coffin  was  borne 
through  the  open  ranks  by  the  eight  United  States 
artillerymen,  who  carried  it  from  the  depot  to  the 
funeral  car,  the  Senators  and  members  following 
immediately  after  it,  and  President  Arthur  and  ex- 
President  Grant,  the  Chief-Justice,  the  members 
of  the  Cabinet  following-  in  turn  in  this  order: 
President  Arthur  and  Secretary  Blaine,  Secretary 
Windom  and  Chief-Justice  Waite,  Secretary  Hunt 
and  ex-President  Grant,  Secretary  Lincoln  and 
Attorney-General  MacVeagh,  Secretary  Kirkwood 
and  Postmaster-General  James.  Next  came  Gen- 
eral Swaim  and  Colonel  Rockwell,  Private  Secre- 
tary Brown  and  Colonel  Corbin,  Dr.  Boynton  and 
Surgeon-General  Barnes.  The  coffin  was  carried 
to  the  centre  of  the  rotunda  and  placed  upon  the 
catafalque  prepared  to  receive  it.  This  was  the 
same  catafalque  used  for  Thaddeus  Stevens,  Pre- 
sident Lincoln,  Senator  Sumner,  Chief-Justice 
Chase  and  Vice-President  Wilson.  It  rested  on  a 
platform  about  six  inches  high  and  rose  about 


Lying  in  State  at  the  Capitol. 


L YING  IN  STA  TE. 


729 

three  feet  above  the  platform,  being  about  four 
feet  wide  and  seven  feet  long,  and  covered  with 
heavy  black  velvet,  a light  silver  bar  running 
around  the  upper  edges  and  down  the  joints. 
The  body  was  guarded  by  a detail  of  the  Capital 
and  Metropolitan  Police,  and  the  resident  mem- 
bers of  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland  acted  as  a 
guard  of  honor.  At  night  the  rotunda  was  open 
for  the  admission  of  the  public,  and  several  hun- 
dred persons  passed  in  and  gazed  upon  the  fea- 
tures of  the  dead  Executive. 

All  day  Thursday,  Washington  did  little  else 
than  crowd  about  the  Capitol,  that  the  last  tribute 
of  respect  might  be  paid  to  one  whose  death  had 
been  the  completed  majesty  of  his  life.  The  sun 
poured  down  with  relentless  heat,  but  it  could  not 
disperse  the  thousands  who  had  gathered  to  pay 
the  last  tokens  of  respect  to  the  dead.  The  line 
formed  outside  the  Capitol  was  a quarter  of  a mile 
long,  and  it  resembled  a huge  serpent,  with  its  head 
on  the  Capitol  steps  and  its  tail  stretching  out 
beyond  the  long  folds  of  the  body  to  East  Capitol 
Street.  The  line  arranged  itself  in  this  fashion  to 
keep  within  the  limits  of  the  Capitol  grounds. 

The  rotunda  was  heavily  draped,  and  the  vast 
dome,  stretching  away  toward  the  heaven  above, 
seemed  in  sympathy,  so  reverently  did  it  echo  the 
tread  of  the  people.  Floral  decorations  were 
scattered  about  the  coffin,  and  placed  upon  the 
floor  of  the  rotunda.  On  the  foot  of  the  coffin 
44 


730 


THE  LIFE  OF  PRESIDENT  GARFIELD. 


rested  an  immense  wreath  of  white  rosebuds ; 
attached  to  it  was  a card  bearing  the  following 
inscription : “ Queen  Victoria,  to  the  memory  of 
the  late  President  Garfield,  an  expression  of  her 
sorrow  and  sympathy  with  Mrs.  Garfield  and  the 
American  nation.”  The  wreath  was  placed  upon 
the  casket  by  Mr.  Hitt,  Assistant-Secretary  of 
State.  It  was  prepared  by  telegraphic  direction 
of  the  Oueen  at  the  British  Legation.  One  of  the 
most  beautiful  of. the  decorations  was  a piece  pre- 
pared at  the  White  House  conservatory,  repre- 
senting the  “ Gates  ajar.” 

The  day  following,  Friday,  was  appointed  for 
the  funeral  services  at  the  Capitol,  and  at  their 
close  the  record  of  James  A.  Garfield  at  the 
National  Capital  came  to  a solemn  end. 

The  funeral  services  were  appointed  for  three 
o’clock.  At  eleven  o’clock  the  Capitol  was  closed 
to  the  public  that  proper  arrangements  might  be 
made  for  the  religious  ceremonies.  Up  to  the 
hour  of  closing,  the  people  continued  to  pass 
through  the  rotunda  to  gaze  upon  the  closed 
coffin.  Though  they  knew  that  the  face  of  the 
dead  President  was  effectually  hidden  from  view, 
it  seemed  to  make  no  difference  in  the  numbers 
of  those  who  demanded  permission  to  approach 
near  to  the  remains  of  the  late  Chief  Magistrate 
for  the  last  time.  A few  minutes  after  the  closing 
of  the  Capitol  to  the  people  there  occurred  a sadly 
solemn  scene.  The  bereaved  family  came  to  take 


THE  FAREWELL  LOOK. 


731 


one  last  look,  before  the  beloved  form  was  hid 
forever.  Mrs.  Garfield,  accompanied  by  her  son, 
Harry,  her  daughter  Mollie,  Colonel  and  Mrs. 
Rockwell  and  daughter,  General  Swaim  and  At- 
torney-General and  Mrs.  MacVeagh,  drove  to  the 
Senate  wing  of  the  Capitol,  and,  repairing  to  the 
President’s  room,  sent  for  Colonel  Bright,  who  was 
informed  that  Mrs.  Garfield  desired  to  look  for 
the  last  time  on  the  face  of  her  deceased  husband. 
Colonel  Bright  directed  that  all  persons  should 
leave  ; that  the  four  doors  leading  to  the  rotunda 
should  be  closed,  and  that  the  guard  should  retire 
to  the  outside  and  remain  there  until  Mrs.  Gar- 
field had  performed  her  mission  of  love.  The  four 
entrances  having  been  thus  closed  and  guarded, 
the  lid  of  the  coffin  was  removed  and  Mrs.  Gar- 
field entered  the  rotunda  alone  through  the  north 
door.  Not  a living  soul  was  in  the  vast  circular 
room  except  herself.  She  was  alone  with  her  dead. 
Of  the  supreme  agony  of  this  moment,  who  can 
speak  ? Alone,  beneath  the  vast  dome  of  a nation’s 
hall,  all  the  eloquent  silence  of  which  spoke  in 
softened  tones  to  her  broken  heart,  sat  the  well- 
beloved  wife.  And  he,  who  for  twenty-three  years 
she  had  loved,  honored  and  obeyed,  spoke  no 
word,  gave  no  sign ! The  ice  of  death  was  in  his 
heart — great,  gentle,  generous — it  would  never 
beat  more.  Then,  as  she  knelt  beside  the  coffin, 
beside  the  altar  of  the  nation’s  tears  and  bade 
Good-bye  to  him  on  earth,  there  stole  in  at  one 


732 


THE  LIFE  OF  PRESIDENT  GARFIELD. 


of  the  great  windows  without  a ray  of  sunshine, 
the  light  of  the  world.  God  grant  that  it  lightened 
the  grief  of  the  woman  ! 

When  she  left,  she  took  with  her  some  of  the 
blossoms  that  surrounded  the  coffin.  At  exactly 
twelve  o’clock,  General  Swaim  and  Colonel  Rock- 
well, the  two  life-long  friends  and  faithful  nurses 
of  the  late  President  throughout  his  suffering,  re- 
paired to  the  rotunda  and  closed  the  lid  of  the 
coffin  and  locked,  it,  and  directed  that  it  should 
never  again  be  opened.  This  was  done  by  direc- 
tion of  Mrs.  Garfield.  It  was  just  twenty-nine 
weeks  ago  at  noon  on  Friday,  September  23d, 
that  General  Garfield  was  inaugurated  President 
of  the  United  States,  and  it  was  deemed  fittine 
that  his  career  should  close  with  the  coffin-lid  in 
the  Capitol,  where  it  was  substantially  begun, 
shaped  and  rounded. 

The  first  organized  body  to  enter  the  rotunda 
was  composed  of  the  survivors  of  the  Army  of 
the  Cumberland,  comprising  not  only  those  resi- 
dent in  Washington,  who  had  been  serving  as  a 
guard  of  honor  to  the  body  since  Wednesday,  but 
also  a number  visiting  from  New  York,  Philadel- 
phia and  other  points.  The  diplomatic  corps  in 
full  uniform  came  next,  dropping  in  by  legations,  the 
Chinese  bein^  the  first  to  take  the  seats  assigned 
them.  The  glittering  decorations  of  these  repre- 
sentatives of  foreign  nations  were  dulled  and 
chastened  by  crape  in  every  instance.  The  offi- 


“ ASLEEP  IN  JESUS: 


733 


cers  of  the  army  and  navy,  with  crape  on  arm 
and  sword-hilt,  came  by  squads,  and  soon  lighted 
up  the  scene  with  a brave  show  of  blue  and  gold. 
The  Chief  Justice,  accompanied  by  Justices  Miller, 
Harlan  and  Matthews,  in  their  official  robes,  with 
the  officers  of  the  Supreme  Court,  followed.  Then, 
from  the  south  wing,  came  the  members  of  the 
House  of  Representatives,  marshaled  by  Sergeant- 
at-Arms  Thompson.  A moment  later  the  Senate, 
approaching  from  the  north  wing,  with  ex-Vice- 
Presidents  Hamlin  and  Wheeler,  soberly  filed  into 
their  allotted  places.  They  had  scarcely  seated 
themselves,  when  the  Cabinet  entered,  preceded 
by  ex-Presidents  Grant  and  Hayes,  and  President 
Arthur,  on  the  arm  of  Secretary  Blaine.  The 
President  and  Secretary  of  State  occupied  seats 
at  the  west  end  of  the  semi-circle,  immediately 
opposite  the  two  ex-Presidents,  while  the  Cabinet, 
with  members  of  their  families,  took  seats  in  the 
front  row,  between  the  two  extremities.  The 
clergymen  who  were  to  conduct  the  religious  ser- 
vices, and  the  Philharmonic  Society,  who  were  to 
render  the  hymns  and  anthems,  were  arranged 
about  the  head  of  the  coffin. 

At  precisely  three  o’clock  the  beautiful  harmony 
of  the  hymn,  “Asleep  in  Jesus,”  swelled  softly 
forth  and  filled  the  rotunda.  At  the  first  note,  the 
guard  of  honor,  twelve  in  number,  who  had,  during 
all  of  the  subdued  bustle  of  filling  the  rooms,  stood 
silent  and  rigid  about  the  catafalque,  quietly  with- 


734 


THE  LIFE  OF  PRESIDENT  GARFIELD. 


drew,  leaving  their  comrade  to  receive  the  solemn 
offices  of  the  Church.  At  the  conclusion  of  the 
hymn,  Rev.  Dr.  Rankin  read  a portion  of  the 
Scriptures.  The  Rev.  Isaac  Erret,  of  the  Camp- 
beflite  Church,  offered  prayer,  Rev.  Dr.  Power, 
the  pastor  of  the  late  President,  addressed 
the  gathered  mourners,  and  the  services  closed 
with  prayer  by  the  Rev.  D.  Butler,  for  many  years 
chaplain  of  the  House  of  Representatives. 

The  floral  tributes,  which  were  numerous  and 
appropriate,  were  removed.  The  wreath  sent  by 
the  Queen  was  alone  carried  out  upon  the  coffin, 
which  still  bore  the  palm  leaves  first  placed  upon 
it  at  Elberon.  Then  the  bearers,  strong  men  who 
had  won  General  Garfield’s  esteem  as  co-worship- 
ers in  the  little  frame  church  on  Vermont  Avenue, 
bore  out  from  the  hall  and  from  the  Capitol  the 
mortal  remains  of  the  man  who  had,  for  so  many 
years,  made  its  walls  ring  with  the  eloquent  appeals 
of  his  patriotic  utterances.  The  intimate  friends 
and  White  House  official  family  followed  after, 
and  were  succeeded  by  the  two  ex-Presidents,  the 
President  and  the  Cabinet,  and  the  representatives 
from  the  Supreme  Court.  Then,  by  direction  of 
General  Field,  the  Master  of  Ceremonies,  the 
■ Diplomatic  Corps  passed  out.  After  them  the 
members  of  the  Senate  and  the  House  marched 
slowly  down  the  broad  steps  of  the  eastern  front. 

When  the  body  was  borne  through  the  bronze 
doors  of  the  Capitol,  the  troops  drawn  up  in  line 


THE  FUNERAL  ESCORT. 


735 


and  facing  the  building  paid  the  customary  honors, 
the  Marine  Band,  which  was  stationed  directly  in 
front  of  the  main  stairway,  playing  “ Sweet  by  and 
by.”  The  officers  of  the  army  and  navy,  who 
constituted  the  guard  of  honor,  preceded  the  body 
down  the  stairs  and  formed  in  two  lines  facing  in- 
ward,  the  right  resting  at  the  hearse.  Through 
these  lines  of  officers  the  coffin  was  borne  and  de‘ 
posited  in  the  hearse,  President  Arthur  leaning  on 
the  arm  of  Secretary  Blaine,  ex-President  Grant 
and  Hayes,  the  members  of  the  Cabinet,  foreign 
Ministers,  and  Senators  and  Representatives  fol- 
lowing immediately  after  in  the  order  named. 
When  the  body  had  been  placed  in  the  hearse,  the 
troops  were  wheeled  into  line,  and  the  cortege 
moved  off  to  funereal  music,  in  the  following  order: 


Two  battallions  of  District  of  Columbia  Militia,  ten  companies. 

Two  companies  of  United  States  Marine 
Four  companies  of  the  United  States  Second  Artillery. 

Light  Battery  Company  A,  United  States  Artillery. 

Grand  Army  of  the  Republic. 

Roscoe  Conkling  Club  Boys  in  Blue. 

Columbia,  Washington  and  De  Molay  Commanderies,  Knights  Templar, 
of  Washington,  in  full  regalia. 

Beauseant  Commandry,  Knights  Templar,  of  Baltimore. 

The  hearse,  drawn  by  six  iron-gray  horses,  each  led  by  a colored  groom. 

Carriages  occupies  officers  of  the  Executive  Mansion  and  their  wives, 
relatives  of  the  late  President,  ex-President  Grant  and  Hayes,  President 
Arthur,  and  Secretary  Blaine ; the  other  Cabinet  Ministers  and  their  wives, 
the  Diplomatic  Corps,  Chief-Justice  Waite,  and  Associate  Justices  Harlan, 
Matthews  and  Miller;  Senators,  members  of  the  House,  Governors  of 
States  and  Territories,  and  Commissioners  of  the  District  of  Columbia,  the 
Judges  of  the  Court  of  Claims,  the  Judiciary  of  the  District  of  Columbia,  and 


736 


THE  LIFE  OF  PRESIDENT  GARFIELD. 


Judges  of  the  United  States  Courts;  the  Assistant  Secretaries  of  Stat&, 
Treasury  and  Interior  Departments ; the  Assistant  Postmasters-GeneraS, 
the  Solicitor-General,  and  the  Assistant  Attorney-General. 


Slowly  the  march  to  the  station  continued. 
What  a contrast  to  the  4th  of  last  March  ! Then 
as  now  the  Capitol  Park  was  crowded  with  an  im- 
mense throng,  composed  of  visitors,  from  every 
section  of  the  country  waiting  the  grand  pro- 
cession in  long  lines  of  soldiery  and  civic  organiza- 
tions. The  contrast  smote  every  heart.  Where 
before  were  thunders  of  applause  and  gayly  float- 
ing banners  and  every  demonstration  of  patriotic 
enthusiasm,  were  now  the  quiet  of  the  funeral 
hour,  furled  banners  and  muffled  drums,  and  in- 
stead of  the  quick  march  of  a triumphant  column, 
there  was  the  slow  step,  the  hearse,  the  black 
plumes  and  wailing  funeral  music ; and  in  lieu  of 
salvos  of  artillery,  there  were  the  mournful  echoes 
of  the  minute  gun.  And  so  with  arms  reversed 
and  banners  wound  with  crape,  the  long  column 
moved  on  through  solid  lines  of  people,  standing 
with  uncovered  heads.  Thus,  for  the  last  time, 
President  Garfield  was  borne  along  this  broad 
avenue,  whose  national  fame  is  now  increased  and 
made  additionally  interesting,  because  it  was  the 
scene  of  his  great  triumph,  of  his  assassination 
and  his  burial. 

The  trip  of  the  train  westward  was  an  ever- 
memorable  one.  It  started  from  Washington  at 
5.21  P.  M.  It  was  composed  of  two  sections.  The 


THE  START  FOR  CLEVELAND. 


737 


first  was  composed  of  four  cars,  the  second  car 
from  the  engine  being  heavily  draped  in  mourning. 
In  this  reposed  the  body  of  the  President.  In  the 
other  two  cars  were  Mrs.  Garfield,  Miss  Mollie 
Garfield,  Colonel  and  Mrs.  Rockwell,  General 
Swaim,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Powers,  the  pastor  of  the 
President,  and  the  members  of  his  political  house- 
hold. The  second  section,  which  followed  imme- 
diately after  the  first,  consisted  of  five  cars.  The 
first  was  a dining-room  car,  and  the  other  three 
were  occupied  by  Senators  and  Representatives, 
who  journeyed  to  Cleveland  to  pay  the  last  tribute 
of  respect  to  the  nation’s  murdered  chief.  In  the 
second  car  were  Senators  Bayard,  of  Delaware ; 
Anthony,  of  Rhode  Island  ; Camden,  of  West  Vir- 
ginia ; Sherman,  of  Ohio ; Ingalls,  of  Kansas ; 
Pugh,  of  Alabama ; Morgan,  of  Alabama  ; Blair, 
of  New  Hampshire;  Miller,  of  New  York;  Ser- 
geant-at-Arms  Bright,  Executive  Clerk  Peyton, 
Stenographer  Murphy  and  Deputy  Sergeant-at- 
Arms  Christy.  In  the  third  car  were  Senators 
Jonas,  of  Louisiana;  McMillan,  of  Minnesota; 
Jones,  of  Nevada  ; Garland,  of  Arkansas  ; Beck,  of 
Kentucky;  Jones,  of  Florida;  Edmunds,  of  Ver- 
mont; Kellogg,  of  Louisiana,  and  Groome,  of  Mary- 
land. The  car  of  the  railroad  officers  came  next, 
followed  by  two  coaches,  in  which  members  of  the 
House  of  Representatives  were  seated.  In  the 
first  were  Messrs.  Jacobs,  of  New  York;  Harris, 
of  New  Jersey;  Brewer  and  Errett,  of  Pennsyl- 


738 


THE  LIFE  OF  PRESIDENT  GARFIELD. 


vania;  Wilson,  of  West  Virginia;  Chandler,  of 
Massachusetts;  and  Belmont,  of  New  York.  In 
the  last  car  were  Representatives  Hogg,  of  West 
Virginia;  Townsend,  of  Ohio;  Hill,  of  New  Jer- 
sey ; Hardenburgh,  of  New  Jersey  ; J.  R.  Thomas, 
of  Illinois  ; Clark,  of  Missouri ; Dezendorf,  of  Vir- 
ginia ; Nathan,  of  Ohio  ; Schultz,  of  Ohio  ; Camp, 
of  New  York  ; Hiscock,  of  New  York  ; Bayne,  of 
Pennsylvania;  the  Hon.  John  H.  Starin,  of  New 
York  ; General  Banks,  of  Massachusetts  ; Repre- 
sentatives Evans,  of  South  Carolina  ; Robinson,  of 
Ohio;  McCook,  of  New  York,  McKinley,  of  Ohio; 
Briggs,  of  New  Hampshire;  Dowd,  of  North 
Carolina;  Henderson,  of  Illinois;  Watson,  of 
Pennsylvania;  McClure,  of  Ohio;  Morey,  of  Ohio; 
Dawes,  of  Ohio  ; Taylor,  of  Ohio  ; Buck,  of  Con- 
necticut ; Kassan,  of  Iowa  ; Beltzhoover,  of  Penn- 
sylvania; Urner,  of  Maryland;  West,  of  New 
York;  Randall,  of  Pennsylvania;  Deputy  Ser- 
geant-at-Arms  Rainey  and  Doorkeeper  Field. 

All  along  the  route  people  crowded  the  sides  of 
the  track  with  uncovered  heads.  Never  before 
was  such  national  mourning. 

In  the  depot  at  Baltimore  were  the  Mayor  and 
Common  Council  of  the  city,  officers  and  employes 
of  the  custom-house,  post-office,  and  the  civil  and 
naval  service  of  the  Government,  five  posts  of  the 
Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  comprising  about 
five  hundred  men,  and  the  officers  of  the  Fifth 
Maryland  Regiment  in  uniform,  all  wearing  crape. 


EN  ROUTE  FOR  CLEVELAND. 


739 


A stop  of  ten  minutes  was  made  to  change  en- 
gines, and  at  6.44  the  train  again  started  on  its  way 
to  the  West.  For  the  distance  of  nearly  a mile 
on  the  outskirts  of  the  city  the  sides  of  the  track 
were  crowded  with  men,  women  and  children. 
The  train  passed  Mount  Vernon,  on  the  Northern 
Central  Road,  at  6.49,  Mount  Washington  six 
minutes  later,  and  Parkton  at  7.29.  New  Free- 
dom was  reached  at  8 o’clock,  Hanover  Junction 
at  8.13.30,  York  at  8.32.30,  Summit  at  8.43,  Golds- 
boro at  9.02,  and  Bridgeport,  opposite  Harrisburg, 
at  9.18.  The  City  Grays  of  Harrisburg,  the  two 
posts  of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic  of  the 
city,  and  the  several  Republican  and  Democratic 
clubs  marched  over  the  bridge  to  Bridgeport,  and 
were  waiting  at  the  depot  when  the  train  passed. 
As  the  train  appeared  in  sight  around  a bend  of  the 
river  a short  distance  below  Bridgeport,  a cannon 
on  Hargest  Island,  in  the  middle  of  the  river,  broke 
the  silence  of  the  night,  and  the  bells  from  every 
steeple  in  Harrisburg  and  Bridgeport  began  to 
toll.  This  tribute  was  continued  until  the  funeral 
train  passed  out  of  sight.  Marysville,  seven  miles 
west  of  Harrisburg,  was  reached  at  9.31,  and  here 
a stop  was  made  of  14*^  minutes  to  secure  a new 
locomotive,  and  a new  crew  of  train  men.  At 
9.46  the  train  left  Marysville  and  proceeded  on 
its  journey.  Cone  was  passed  at  9.54,  Aqueduct 
at  10.07,  Newport  at  10.23,  Tuscarora  at  10.47, 
Mifflin  at  11  o’clock,  Lewiston  Junction  at  11.21, 


740 


THE  LIFE  OF  PRESIDENT  GARFIELD. 


and  Anderson  at  11.30.  Notwithstanding  the 
lateness  of  the  hour,  crowds  were  on  hand  at  all 
these  stations  to  look  upon  the  train  which  bore 
so  precious  a burden,  and  as  it  passed  by  the  plat- 
forms everybody  stood  with  uncovered  heads. 
McVeytown  was  passed  at  11.39,  Managunk  at 
11.50,  and  Mount  Union  at  12.06,  the  train  at  this 
point  being  on  schedule  time.  The  funeral  train 
passed  Coal  Siding  at  12.20,  Huntington  at  12.30, 
Petersburg  at  12.41,  and  Spruce  Creek  at  12.54. 
The  train  left  Altoona  on  time  at  1.40  A.  M.,  and 
from  there  all  up  the  grand  old  mountain  to 
Cresson  the  track  was  guarded  by  mountaineers 
and  woodsmen,  who  stood  uncovered  in  the  dark- 
ness, able  to  see  nothing,  yet  testifying  their  re- 
spect as  grandly  as  their  brethren  all  over  the 
world,  and  passed  Johnstown  at  3.15  A.  M.  About 

3.000  people  had  congregated  at  the  depot,  stand- 
ing uncovered  and  silent.  The  bells  of  all  the 
churches,  school-houses  and  engine  companies 
were  tolled  Derry  station  was  reached  at  about 
4.30  o’clock.  Hundreds  had  gathered  here,  and 
the  same  scenes  were  enacted  when  the  train  en- 
tered the  Union  depot  at  Pittsburg  at  5.40.  Fully 

5.000  people  had  assembled  at  the  depot,  and  in 
the  streets  through  v/hich  the  train  was  to  pass. 
No  demonstration  was  made,  save  the  tolling  of 
all  the  bells  and  the  firing  of  minute  guns.  A 
committee  of  citizens  was  on  hand,  and,  like  the 
crowd,  stood  with  their  heads  bowed  and  uncov- 


ENTERING  OHIO. 


741 


ered.  During  the  fourteen  minutes  stop  at  Pitts- 
burg, while  the  train  was  being  shifted  to  the 
Cleveland  and  Pittsburg  Railroad  tracks,  no  one 
ventured  to  speak  above  a whisper,  and  the  fune- 
ral party  kept  themselves  out  of  sight.  The  train 
drew  out  of  the  depot  at  5.45,  and  slowly  crossed 
the  bridge  to  Alleghany  City,  where  a car  contain- 
ing the  Cleveland  committee  was  attached.  More 
people  even  than  in  Pittsburg  lined  the  tracks 
through  Alleghany  City  and  the  parks  along  the 
line  of  the  railroad.  Where  it  passed  through  the 
West  Park  the  tracks  were  covered  with  plants  in 
bloom  and  thousands  of  fragrant  blossoms.  The 
train  steamed  out  of  Alleghany  City  at  6.20  amid 
the  tolling  of  bells. 

The  train  arrived  at  Rochester  at  7.43  o’clock. 
A large  number  of  people  were  gathered  at  the 
depot,  and  Post  No.  183  of  the  Grand  Army  of 
the  Republic  was  drawn  up  in  line  to  receive  the 
train.  A Post  of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Repub- 
lic was  drawn  up  in  front  of  the  depot  at  East 
Liverpool,  Ohio,  which  was  reached  at  7.58,  when 
the  train  passed  in  the  order  of  salute.  A band 
of  music  was  in  attendance  and  played  a funeral 
dirge.  A beautiful  arch  was  erected  over  the 
main  street,  tastefully  decorated.  The  Fire  De- 
partment was  also  drawn  up  in  line,  and  about 
1,000  people  were  congregated  at  the  station  and 
along  the  track.  The  train  made  another  stop  at 
Wellesville  Junction,  about  three  miles  from 


742 


THE  LIFE  OF  PRESIDENT  GARFIELD. 


Wellesville,  to  take  in  water.  The  car-shops  of  the 
company  are  situated  here,  and  the  employes,  with 
their  wives  and  children,  were  assembled  in  a 
body  to  witness  the  passing  of  the  train.  Across 
the  front  of  one  of  the  largest  shops  was  stretched 
a wide  piece  of  canvas,  on  which  was  painted  in 
prominent  letters,  “We  Mourn  our  Dead  Presi- 
dent.” The  people  stood  quietly  by  when  the 
train  stopped,  scarcely  any  of  them  moving  until 
it  again  started.  A large  number  of  the  male 
portion  of  the  crowd  were  in  a kneeling  position 
as  the  train  rolled  by. 

The  manifestations  of  sympathy  for  the  dead 
President  were  most  marked  along  the  entire 
route.  The  houses  from  a mansion  to  a log-  cabin 
were  draped  in  mourning  at  all  points.  At  Saline- 
ville,  Ohio,  there  was  quite  a gathering  of  all 
classes  of  people.  Coal-miners,  with  their  lamps 
on  their  hats  and  clothes  covered  with  dirt,  just  as 
they  had  rushed  from  the  mines,  were  mingled  with 
well-dressed  men  and  women.  A number  of  coal- 
mine boys,  with  lamps  on  their  hats,  were  drawn 
up  in  martial  line  in  front  of  the  depot.  At  At- 
water, the  next  station  west  of  Alliance,  quite  a 
crowd  was  gathered  at  the  station.  The  train 
stopped  for  water  at  Ravenna  at  11.31.  Here  a 
large  number  of  people  were  assembled  ; buildings 
were  draped  in  mourning,  and  there  was  a general 
manifestation  of  sorrow.  This  was  the  last  stop 
which  the  train  made  before  reaching  its  destination. 


ARRIVAL  A T CLE  VELAND. 


7 43 


At  1.30  the  train  bearing  the  remains  oi  the 
murdered  President  arrived  at  Cleveland,  and 
twenty  minutes  later  the  Congressional  train 
rolled  into  the  depot.  The  mournful  journey  had 
been  made  without  accident  of  any  kind,  and  the 
pageant  had  been  witnessed  by  more  sorrowing  citi- 
zens than  ever  before  looked  upon  a funeral  train 
in  this  country. 

For  a moment  after  the  train  had  stopped,  the 
silence  was  unbroken,  and  no  one  appeared  at  the 
doors  or  windows.  Then  the  relatives  and  friends 
and  members  of  the  escort  stepped  down  upon 
the  platform.  The  arrangements  were  not  of  so 
formal  a character  as  at  Long  Branch  and  Wash- 
ington. As  soon  as  these  living  occupants  of  the 
train  had  departed,  the  soldiers  of  the  Second 
Artillery,  to  whom  had  been  assigned  the  duty  of 
bearing  the  coffin  to  the  hearse,  came  forward  to 
remove  the  body  from  the  car.  Their  white  hel- 
mets and  blue  and  red  uniforms  were  in  strong- 
contrast  with  the  dark  garments  of  the  relatives 
and  friends.  The  coffin  was  gently  moved  from 
its  resting-place,  passed  through  the  door  of  the 
car,  and  placed  upon  the  shoulders  of  the  artillery- 
men, who  bore  it  along  the  platform  and  through 
the  lines  to  the  street,  where  the  hearse  was  guarded 
by  the  veterans  of  General  Garfield’s  old  regi- 
ment, the  Forty-second  Ohio  Volunteers,  who 
wore  the  clothing  of  civil  life.  The  commanderies 
pf  Knights  Templar  and  the  Cleveland  Grays, 


744 


THE  LIFE  OF  PRESIDENT  GARFIELD. 


and  other  organizations,  were  awaiting  the  move- 
ments of  the  procession.  The  hearse  was  a plain 
but  costly  one,  furnished  by  local  undertakers,  and 
drawn  by  four  handsome  black  horses,  which  were 
covered  with  black  robes  fringed  with  silver.  The 
body  of  the  hearse  was  enveloped  in  crape.  A 
colored  man  led  each  horse.  These  colored  men 
had  performed  the  same  duty  at  the  obsequies  of 
President  Lincoln. 

The  start  for  the  centre  of  the  city  was  made  at 
twenty  minutes  to  two  o’clock.  On  reaching 
Euclid  Avenue  the  scene  was  sadly  affecting. 
There  are  few  thoroughfares  in  the  world  which 
rival  this  in  beauty.  The  broad  roadway  runs  for 
miles  between  rows  of  stately  dwellings,  which  are 
surrounded  by  spacious  grounds,  and  shaded  by 
numerous  trees  from  the  station  to  the  public 
square.  The  sidewalks  and  broad  porches  were 
filled  with  people.  The  display  of  symbols  of 
mourning  and  grief  upon  the  house-fronts  was 
remarkable.  Some  of  the  larger  mansions  were 
almost  hidden  in  folds  of  black.  The  pillars  of 
porticoes  were  covered  with  black  and  white. 
Large  portraits  of  the  murdered  President  were 
frequently  exhibited.  Huge  anchors  of  black  and 
white  had  been  placed  in  the  windows.  Flags  at 
half-mast,  with  wide  black  borders,  floated  from 
many  a lofty  staff.  In  some  of  these  exhibitions 
rare  taste  was  shown.  The  avenue,  like  the 
business  streets,  had  put  on  mourning  garments, 


THE  FUKERAL  PROCESSION. 


745 


and  in  the  outskirts  of  the  city,  where  the  poor 
live  in  humble  dwellings,  the  display  was  universal. 

The  procession  to  the  catafalque  was  led  by 
three  platoons  of  policemen,  each  line  stretching 
from  one  curbstone  to  the  other.  These  were 
followed  by  Colonel  John  M.  Wilson,  United  States 
Army,  and  staff,  who  rode  in  front  of  the  Cleve- 
land Grays’  band.  The  first  City  Troop  rode 
slowly  behind  the  band,  and  preceded  the  carriages 
which  contained  the  local  Committee  of  Arrange- 
ments. These  were  followed  by  Governor  Foster, 
of  Ohio,  and  his  staff.  Next  marched  delegates 
representing  Columbia  Commandery,  No.  2, 
Knights  Templar,  of  Washington,  the  Command- 
ery of  which  the  late  President  was  a member. 
Directly  in  the  rear  of  these -was  the  body  of  the 
President,  drawn  by  black  horses,  which  were  held 
by  colored  grooms  by  means  of  silver  cords.  The 
body  was  guarded  by  the  United  States  artillery- 
men who  had  borne  it  from  the  railway  car.  Fol- 
lowing the  body  were  eight  drummers,  whose 
drums  were  muffled  and  covered  with  crape.  The 
outer  guards  consisted  of  long  lines  of  Knights 
Templar  from  local  commanderies.  These  were 
followed  by  the  Cleveland  Grays,  a company  wear-„ 
ing  gray  uniforms  and  huge  shakos  of  bearskin. 
Then  came  the  sorrowful  handful  of  veterans  from 
General  Garfield’s  old  regiment,  the  Forty-second 
Ohio  Volunteers,  in  citizens’  clothing.  There 
were  forty-six  of  these  men,  and  they  carried  their 
45 


746 


THE  LIFE  OF  PRESIDENT  GARFIELD. 


torn  and  blood-stained  battle-flags  closely  furled 
and  bound  with  crape,  as  befited  ‘the  memories  of 
the  tented  field.  A loner  line  of  carriages  then 
appeared,  bearing  the  members  of  the  Cabinet, 
the  officers  of  the  Army  and  Navy,  the  Governors 
of  States,  Senators,  Representatives  in  Congress 
and  other  distinguished  visitors. 

The  procession  moved  slowly  to  the  measures 
of  a mournful  dirge.  At  3 o’clock  the  vanguard 
reached  the  black  arch  which  spanned  the  entrance 
of  the  public  square.  The  roadways  around  the 
square  were  blocked  with  people,  but  there  were 
very  few  within  the  inclosure.  The  pavilion  was 
an  imposing  structure.  The  floor  upon  which  the 
catafalque  rests  was  five  and  a half  feet  above  the 
ground  and  was  approached  over  an  inclined  plane 
from  the  east  and  the  west.  The  pavilion  was 
square  and  the  arched  openings  faced  the  four 
points  of  the  compass.  At  the  apex  of  the  roof 
was  a large  gilded  globe.  The  arched  openings 
at  the  sides  were  twenty-four  feet  wide  and  thirty 
feet  long.  The  floor  was  forty-five  feet  square. 
The  columns  at  the  angles  of  the  pavilion  were 
graced  by  minarets  of  festooned  flags,  and  from 
each  corner  hung  a large  black  banner.  Draped 
field-pieces  were  placed  a short  distance  from 
each  corner.  The  facades  were  ornamented  with 
beautiful  floral  emblems.  Some  of  them  deserve 
description.  A large  cross  of  begonias  and  ivy> 
with  arms  of  ferns  and  begonias,  bore  a heart  made 


FLORAL  OFFERINGS. 


747 


of  rosebuds.  Beneath  was  an  anchor  of  white 
balsams.  A large  Bible  of  white  balsams  lay  open, 
its  pages  studded  with  rose-buds,  carnations  and 
tuberoses.  Part  of  a beautiful  altar-piece  con- 
sisted of  an  open  book  of  pink  and  white  balsams 
and  tuberoses,  with  pale  yellow  buds  on  the  pages. 
A cross  of  white  balsams,  white  asters,  white  roses 
and  carnations  towered  above  it.  A tyre  of  bal- 
sams and  rosebuds  lay  against  a green  column, 
over  w’hich  birds  hovered.  Another  piece  repre- 
sented a dreary  stubble-field,  brown  and  bare, 
bearing  one  garnered  sheaf,  at  the  foot  of  which, 
lay  a sickle  of  balsams  and  rosebuds  and  tube- 
roses, and  the  word  “Gathered”  in  purple  im- 
mortelles. A monument  of  white  balsams  and 
tuberoses  had  its  base  banded  with  pink,  and  upon 
the  apex  was  a dove  with  folded  wfings.  A light- 
house of  balsams,  tuberoses,  begonias  and  gera- 
nium leaves,  with  a broad  base  of  fern  leaves 
and  begonias,  bore  a shield  on  which  in  purple 
immortelles  were  the  words  : “ Garfield — a beacon 
to  posterity.”  In  another  structure  the  States 
were  represented  by  columns  of  ivy  or  smilax, 
with  the  name  of  each  in  white  immortelles,  while 
over  all  was  an  arch  which  bore  the  words, 
“ Columbia  mourns  her  son.” 

When  the,  police  reached  the  archway  at  the 
entrance  of  the  public  square,  the  space  within 
the  pavilion  was  guarded  by  soldiers,  who  mourn- 
fully paced  to  and  fro.  The  breeze  from  the  lake 


748 


THE  LIFE  OF  PRESIDENT  GARFIELD. 


fitfully  shook  the  great  black  banners  which  hung 
from  the  corners  of  the  pavilion.  As  the  head  of 
the  procession  entered  the  public  square,  the  bell 
of  the  First  Presbyterian  Church,  near  at  hand, 
began  to  toll.  The  band,  continuing  the  dirge, 
filed  in  and  stood  at  one  side  of  the  space  between 
the  arch  and  the  pavilion.  The  Templars  followed 
them,  and  formed  in  lines  extending  on  each  side 
of  the  way  from  the  arch  to  the  catafalque.  The 
delegates  from  Columbia  Commandery  entered 
the  pavilion.  The  remaining  Templars  guarded 
the  space  over  which  the  body  had  to  pass.  Mar- 
shal Henry  and  the  local  committee  came  up  the 
inclined  plane,  and  the  grooms  led  the  black  horses 
into  the  public  square.  The  Templars  presented 
their  swords.  The  band  began  the  mournful  strains 
of  Pleyel’s  Hymn,  playing  softly  and  tenderly.  Gov- 
ernor Foster  and  his  staff  took  places  in  the  pavil- 
ion, and  then  the  eight  artillerymen  took  the  coffin 
from  the  hearse  and  bore  it  slowly  up  the  inclined 
plane  to  the  catafalque,  upon  which  they  placed  it. 
The  clay  which  had  been  James  A.  Garfield  was 
lying  in  the  city  of  his  dearest  friends.  It  had 
almost  reached  its  last  resting  place. 

The  scene  was  one  to  be  remembered.  There 
was  a deep  solemnity  about  every  action  and 
every  whispered  word.  The  eye  glancing  down 
between  the  lines  of  Templars  and  through 
the  archway,  saw  the  troops  quietly  wheeling 
and  preparing  to  depart.  So  still  was  it  in  the 


L YING  IN  STATE. 


749 


presence  of  the  great  multitude  which  surrounded 
the  square  that  the  rustling  of  the  plants  which 
adorned  the  pavilion  as  the  breeze  swept  by  them 
was  plainly  heard.  The  coffin  having  been  de- 
posited in  its  place,  the  hearse  was  taken 
away.  The  Templars  wheeled  before  the  pa- 
vilion and  prepared  to  depart.  Twelve  privates 
of  the  Cleveland  Grays  marched  to  the  front  ol 
the  pavilion  and  then,  three  at  a time,  went  up 
and  took  their  places  as  guards  around  the  cata- 
falque. They  allowed  no  one  to  enter  the  pavilion. 
The  remainder  of  the  company  departed,  and  the 
Templars  followed  them,  leaving  four  of  their 
number  to  act  as  o-uard.  Three  minutes  afterward 

O 

the  war-worn  veterans  of  the  Fortv-second  Ohio 

✓ 

Volunteers  marched  up  to  the  entrance  of  the 
pavilion,  and  passed  out  of  the  square  by  a gate 
at  the  right.  The  ceremony  was  over. 

The  structure  and  the  whole  square  was  illumi- 
nated by  electric  lights  at  night.  At  the  head  of 
the  coffin  was  placed  a large  portrait  of  the  late 
President.  Upon  the  coffin  lay  the  palm  leaves 
and  the  wreath  sent  by  Queen  Victoria,  which 
had  not  been  removed  after  the  body  was  placed  in 
the  Capitol.  At  the  head  of  the  coffin  lay  a scroll 
bearing  the  following  words  : 

“ Life’s  race  well  run, 

Life’s  work  well  done, 

Life’s  crown  well  won 
Now  comes  rest.” 


75  o 


THE  LIFE  OF  PRE SIDE N'l  GARFIELD. 


CHAPTER  XLTT. 


THE  LAST  ACT. 


A 


SAD  Sunday  it  was  for  the  fair  city  of 
Cleveland,  on  September  25  th,  1881. 
Right  in  the  heart  of  the  place  lay  the 
dead  ruler,  dead,  though,  only  in  the  flesh,  a Presi- 
dent of  his  people,  still  in  their  hearts  and  homes. 
An  endless  throng  paid  him  the  silent  homage  of 
respect,  streaming  by  his  coffin  from  early  morn 
till  the  shades  of  night  had  long  kissed  the  griev- 
ing city.  In  every  church  the  preacher  dwelt 
lovingly  on  the  character  and  glories  of  the 
deceased.  Everywhere  else  the  masses  were 
busy  with  the  arrangements  for  the  day  following — 
the  day  upon  which  the  last  that  mortality  could 
do  for  man  would  be  done,  and  then  would  come 
the  tomb. 

During  the  night  a gentle  shower  fell  upon  the 
shadowed  city,  and  when  morning  was  ushered  in 
a bright  September  sun  shone  through  fast  dis- 
appearing clouds.  All  night  the  park  was  care- 
fully guarded  by  soldiery,  and  up  to  the  hour  of 
midnight,  a throng  was  constantly  passing  in  a 
regular,  solemn  procession,  with  uncovered  heads. 
It  is  not  probable  that  more  than  half  of  the  people 


CEREMONIES  A T THE  PA  VIZ  ION. 


7 51 


went  to  bed  at  all.  At  any  rate,  they  were  out 
aeain  before  the  sun,  and  moving  about.  Some 
dissatisfaction  was  expressed  when  it  was  known 
that  the  crowd  would  not  be  admitted  to  the  park 
during  the  funeral  exercises,  but  no  attempts  were 
made  to  break  through  the  guard,  and  all  con- 
tentedly accepted  the  poor  satisfaction  of  beholding 
the  funeral  pageant  as  it  impressively  passed 

along-  the  streets. 

<_> 

Promptly  at  10.30  o’clock  the  ceremonies  at  the 
pavilion  began.  The  immediate  members  of  the 
family  and  near  relatives  and  friends  took  seats 
about  the  coffin.  At  each  corner  was  stationed  a 
member  of  the  Cleveland  Grays.  The  committee 
members  on  duty  about  the  pavilion  wore  heavy 
crape. 

Dr.  J.  P.  Robinson,  president  of  ceremonies, 
announced  that  the  exercises  would  open  by  the 
singing  of  Beethoven’s  funeral  hymn,  by  the 
Cleveland  Vocal  Society,  whereupon  the  hymn 
was  sung  as  follows  : 

o 

Thou  art  gone  to  the  grave, 

But  we  will  not  deplore  thee  ; 

Though  sorrow  and  darkness  encompass  the  tomb, 

The  Saviour  has  passed  its  portals  before  thee, 

And  the  lamp  of  His  love  is  thy  light  thro’  the  gloom. 

Bishop  Bedell,  of  Ohio,  then  read  some  appro- 
priate selections  from  the  Scriptures,  after  which 
the  Rev.  Ross  C.  Houghton  offered  a most  appro- 
priate prayer. 


752 


THE  LIFE  OF  PRESIDENT  GARFIELD. 


After  the  prayer  the  vocal  society  sang': 

To  Thee,  O Lord,  I yield  my  spirit, 

Who  breaks  in  love  this  mortal  chain ; 

My  life  I but  from  Thee  inherit, 

And  death  becomes  my  chieftest  gain. 

In  Thee  I live,  in  Thee  I die, 

Content,  for  Thou  art  ever  nigh. 

Hardly  had  the  last  word  died  in  the  hushed 
air,  when  the  Rev.  Isaac  Errett,  of  Cincinnati,  began 
his  most  excellent  and  appropriate  sermon,  taking 
as  his  text  these  words : 


“And  the  archers  shot  at  King  Josiah,  and  the  king  said  to  his  servants, 
Have  me  away,  for  I am  sore  wounded. 

“ His  servants,  therefore,  took  him  out  of  that  chariot  and  put  him  in 
the  second  chariot  that  he  had,  and  they  brought  him  to  Jerusalem,  and  he 
died,  and  was  buried  in  one  of  the  sepulchres  of  his  fathers.  And  all  Jeru- 
salem mourned  for  Josiah. 

“And  Jeremiah  lamented  for  Josiah,  and  all  the  singing  men  and  singing 
women  spoke  of  Josiah  in  their  lamentations  to  this  day,  and  made  them 
an  ordinance  in  Israel ; and,  behold,  they  are  written  in  the  lamentations. 

“ Now  the  rest  of  the  acts  of  Josiah  and  his  goodness  according  to  that 
which  was  written  in  the  law  of  the  Lord, 

“And  his  deeds,  first  and  last,  behold,  they  are  written  in  the  book  of 
the  kings  of  Israel  and  Judah. 

“ For,  behold,  the  Lord,  the  Lord  of  Hosts,  doth  take  away  from  Jeru- 
salem and  from  Judah  the  stay  and  the  staff ; the  whole  stay  of  bread,  and 
the  whole  stay  of  water. 

“ The  mighty  man  and  the  man  of  war,  and  the  prophet,  and  the  ancient. 

“ The  captain  of  fifty,  and  the  honorable  man  and  the  counselor,  and 
the  cunning  artificer  and  the  eloquent  orator. 

“ The  voice  said  Cry.  And  he  said  What  shall  I cry  ? 

“All  flesh  is  grass,  and  all  the  goodliness  thereof  is  as  the  flower  of  the 
field. 

“ The  grass  withereth,  the  flower  fadeth  because  the  spirit  of  the  Lord 
bloweth  upon  it.  Surely  the  people  is  grass. 

“ The  grass  withereth,  the  flower  fadeth,  but  the  word  of  our  God  shall 
stand  forever.” 


SEP  VICES  IN  THE  PA  VILION. 


753 


Dr.  Errett  was  listened  to  with  close  and  earn- 
est attention.  He  spoke  for  forty  minutes,  and 
when  he  closed,  a hush  for  a moment  hung  over 
the  vast  audience. 

The  Rev.  Jabez  Hall  then  read  General  Gar- 
field’s favorite  hymn,  which  was  beautifully  sung 
by  the  V ocal  Society : 

Ho,  reapers  of  life’s  harvest, 

Why  stand  with  rusted  blade 

Until  the  night  draws  round  thee 
And  day  begins  to  fade  ? 

Why  stand  ye  idle,  waiting 
For  reapers  more  to  come  ? 

The  golden  morn  is  passing, 

Why  sit  ye  idle,  dumb  ? 

Thrust  in  your  sharpened  sickle 
And  gather  in  the  grain ; 

The  night  is  fast  approaching, 

And  soon  will  come  again. 

The  Master  calls  for  reapers, 

And  shall  He  call  in  vain  ? 

Shall  sheaves  lie  there,  ungathered, 

And  waste  upon  the  plain  ? 

Mount  up  the  heights  of  wisdom 
And  crush  each  error  low. 

Keep  back  no  words  of  knowledge 
That  human  hearts  should  know. 

Be  faithful  to  thy  mission 
In  service  of  thy  Lord, 

And  then  a golden  chaplet 
Shall  be  thy  just  reward. 

At  11.45  o’clock  Dr.  Charles  S.  Pomeroy  de- 
livered the  final  prayer  and  benediction. 

During  the  last  ceremonies  at  the  catafalque 
100,000  men  in  uniform  were  moving  up  and  down 


754 


THE  LIFE  OF  PRESIDENT  GARFIELD. 


the  broad  avenues  pointing  to  the  public  square 
from  the  east.  The  music  of  many  bands  came 
faintly  to  the  hushed  assembly  about  the  cata- 
falque, while  as  far  as  the  eye  could  discern  there 
were  moving  columns  of  bright  uniforms  and 
densely  packed  sidewalks.  An  impressive  but 
almost  painful  moment  of  silence  and  inactivity 
followed  the  solemn  benediction  by  Rev.  Charles 
C.  Pomeroy.  The  perfect  silence  in  the  groups 
surrounding  the  remains  of  the  President  was 
broken  by  his  faithful  servant  Dan,  who  opened 
the  door  of  Mrs.  Garfield’s  carriage,  the  first  in 
the  long  line  of  vehicles  behind  the  funeral  car. 
General  Barnett,  the  master  of  ceremonies,  sum- 
moned the  bearers,  ten  sergeants  of  the  Second 
Artillery,  who  advanced  in  close  ranks,  forming  a 
single  file  on  both  sides  of  the  casket.  The  re- 

o 

mains  were  raised  from  their  resting-place  at  12.10 
P.  M.,  and  on  the  shoulders  of  the  stalwart  sol- 
diers, borne  very  slowly  down  the  incline,  every 
eye  in  that  assemblage  of  not  less  than  10,000 
persons  followed  the  black  casket  encompassing 
the  remains  of  the  dead  President,  till  they  were 
placed  on  the  dais,  under  the  sable  canopy  of  the 
funeral  car.  Another  moment  of  waiting,  and  the 
long  line  of  carriages  began  to  fill,  minute  guns 
were  fired  at  Lake  View  Park,  on  the  outskirts  of 
this  city,  and  from  a hundred  steeples  the  response 
came  back  with  the  tolling  of  the  bells.  The  slow 
measure  of  “ Nearer,  my  God,  to  Thee,”  played 


THE  FUNERAL  MARCH. 


755 


by  the  Marine  Band  of  Washington,  seemed  in 
unison  with  the  halting  of  carriages,  slowly  receiv- 
ing their  complement  of  passengers  at  the  cata- 
falque, and  moving  away  to  their  place  in  the  pro- 
cession. To  the  relatives  of  the  family  the  guard 
of  honor  was  summoned,  then  the  Justices  of  the 
Supreme  Court,  the  Governors  of  States,  Sena- 
tors Kellogg,  Logan,  Cameron,  Jones,  Conger, 
Miller,  Pendleton,  Beck,  Edwards,  Garland,  Blair, 
Camden,  Pugh,  Ingalls,  Anthony,  Morgan,  Bayard, 
and  Sherman,  forty  members  of  the  House  of 
Representatives,  then  Generals  Sherman  and 
Sheridan  and  Admirals  Rodgers  and  Stanley,  to- 
gether. Generals  Hancock,  Sergeant,  Wales, 
Admirals  English  and  Wyman,  Adjutant-General 
Drum,  Chief-Paymaster  Looker  of  the  Navy,  and 
Colonels  Tourtelotte  and  Ward  and  aids-de-camp. 
The  next  carriaq-es  in  the  rear  contained  all  the 
members  of  the  Cabinet,  General  Hazen,  chief 
signal  officer,  Colonels  Swaim  and  Rockwell  and 
Private  Secretary  Brown.  Ex-President  Hayes, 
Mrs.  Hayes,  ex-Secretary  William  M..  Evarts  and 
Miss  Lucy  Hayes  occupied  one  of  the  last  car- 
riages leaving  the  catafalque.  Rear-Admiral 
Nichols,  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Boynton,  the  veterans  of  the 
Army  of  the  Cumberland  and  the  representative 
delegations  from  New  York,  Boston,  Philadelphia, 
Hartford,  Albany,  Chicago,  Cincinnati,  St.  Louis 
and  Columbus,  led  by  the  Mayors  of  all  cities, 
except  the  three  first  named,  occupied  the  last 


756 


THE  LIFE  OF  PRESIDENT  GARFIELD. 


carriages  in  the  procession,  of  which  the  advance 
guard  was  already  five  miles  away,  and  even  then 
within  a short  distance  of  Lake  View  Cemetery  in 
the  country  beyond  Cleveland.  The  file  of  car- 
riages left  the  public  square  through  the  funeral 
archway  on  the  ^ast.  As  column  after  column  of 
troops  wheeled  into  line  from  Euclid  Avenue,  the 
procession  became  a magnificent  spectacle,  but 
the  bright  colored  uniforms  and  the  flashing-  of 
steel  in  the  sun  was  forgotten,  for  wherever  the 
uniform  was  brightest,  the  steel  keenest,  a bit  of 
fluttering  crape  was  fastened,  while  the  bright  ban- 
ners of  the  infantry  were  shrouded  in  black.  The 
procession  moved  slowly,  not  more  than  a mile 
and  a half  per  hour.  The  advance  guard  left 
Monumental  Square  at  12.20  P.  M.,  and  entered 
the  cemetery,  six  miles  from  Cleveland  at  2.40. 
At  that  moment  the  end  of  the  procession  was 
just  leaving  the  public  square  at  Cleveland. 

At  3.30  o’clock  the  procession  entered  the  gate- 
way, which  was  draped  in  black,  with  appropriate 
inscriptions.  On  the  keystone  were  the  words, 
“ Come  to  Rest on  one  side  were  the  words, 
“ Lay  him  to  rest  whom  we  have  learned  to  love,” 
on  the  other,  “Lay  him  to  rest  whom  we  have 
learned  to  trust.”  A massive  cross  of  evergreens 
was  in  the  centre  of  the  arch. 

The  United  States  Marine  Band,  continuing  the 
mournful  strains  it  had  kept  up  during  the  entire 
march,  entered  first.  Then  came  the  Forest  City 


ADDRESS  A T THE  GRA  PE. 


757 


troop,  of  Cleveland,  who  were  the  escort  of  the 
President  at  his  inauguration.  Behind  them 
came  the  funeral  car,  with  its  escort  of  twelve 
United  States  artillerymen,  followed  by  a battalion 
of  Knights  Templar  and  the  Cleveland  Grays. 
The  mourners’  carriage  and  those  containing  the 
guard  of  honor  comprised  all  of  the  procession 
that  had  entered  the  grounds.  None  of  the 
President’s  family  except  two  of  the  boys  left  the 
carriages. 

Dr.  J.  P.  Robinson,  as  president  of  the  day, 
opened  the  exercises  by  introducing  the  Rev.  J. 
H.  Jones,  chaplain  of  the  42d  Regiment  Ohio 
Volunteer  Infantry,  which  General  Garfield  com- 
manded. Mr.  Jones  said : 


Our  illustrious  friend  has  completed  his  journey — a journey  we  must  ali 
soon  make,  and  that  in  the  near  future ; yet,  when  I see  the  grand  sur- 
roundings on  this  occasion,  I am  led  to  inquire,  Was  this  man  the  son  of 
the  emperor,  of  the  king,  that  wore  the  crown  ? for  in  the  history  of  this 
great  country  there  has  been  nothing  like  this  seen  by  the  people,  and  per- 
haps in  no  other  country.  Yet  I thought,  perhaps,  speaking  after  the 
manner  of  men,  that  he  was  a prince,  and  this  was  offered  in  a manner 
after  royalty. 

He  was  not,  my  friends.  It  is  not  an  offering  of  a king.  It  is  not,  as 
we  are  taught,  an  offering  to  earthly  kings  and  emperors,  though  he  was  born 
a prince  and  a free  man,  the  great  Commoner  of  the  United  States. 

Only  a few  miles  from  where  we  stand  less  than  fifty  years  ago  he  was 
bom  in  the  primeval  forests  of  this  State  and  this  County,  and  all  he  asks 
of  you  now  is  a peaceful  grave  in  the  bosom  of  the  land  that  gave  him 
birth.  I cannot  speak  to  you  of  his  wonderful  life  and  works.  Time  for- 
bids, and  history  will  take  care  of  that,  and  your  children’s  children  will 
read  of  this  with  emotion  when  we  have  passed  away  from  this  earth.  But 
let  me  say  that  when  I was  permitted  with  these  honorable  men  to  go  to 
Pittsburg  as  one  of  a committee  to  receive  his  mortal  remains,  I saw  from 


758 


THE  LIFE  OF  PRESIDENT  GARFIELD. 


that  city  to  Cleveland  hundreds  and  thousands  of  people,  many  of  them  in 
tears.  Then  I asked  the  meaning  of  all  this.  For  I saw  the  workingmen 
coming  out  of  the  rolling-mills,  with  dust  and  smoke  all  over  their  faces ; 
their  heads  uncovered,  and  tears  rolling  down  their  brawny  cheeks,  and 
with  bated  breath,  I asked,  What  is  the  meaning  of  all  this  because  it  casts 
down  a working  man.  He  was  a workingman  himself,  for  he  had  been  a 
worker  from  his  birth,  almost.  He  has  fought  his  way  through  life  at  every 
step,  and  the  workingman  he  took  by  the  hand.  There  were  sympathy 
and  brotherhood  between  them.  In  the  small  cottages  as  well  as  in  the 
splendid  mansions  there  are  drapings  on  the  shutters,  and  it  may  have  been 
the  only  veil  a poor  woman  had,  and,  with  tears  in  her  eyes,  she  saw  us  pass. 

I asked  why ; what  interest  has  this  poor  woman  in  this  man  ? She  had 
read  that  he  was  born  in  a cabin,  and  that  when  he  got  old  enough  to  work 
in  the  beech  woods,  he  helped  to  support  his  widowed  mother.  Then  I 
saw  the  processions  and  the  colleges  pouring  out ; the  local  processions, 
and  civic  societies,  and  the  military,  all  concentrated  here.  And  he  has 
touched  them  all  in  his  passage  thus  far  through  life,  and  you  feel  that  he 
is  a brother.  He  is,  therefore,  a brother  to  you  in  all  these  regards. 

But  when  a man  dies  his  work  usually  follows  him.  Wien  we  sent 
Garfield  to  the  Capitol  at  Washington  he  weighed  210  pounds.  He  had  a 
soul  that  loved  his  race,  a splendid  intellect  that  almost  bent  the  largest 
form  to  bear  it.  You  bring  him  back  to  us  a mere  handful  of  some  So 
pounds,  mostly  of  bones,  in  that  casket.  Now  I ask,  why  is  this  ? I do 
not  stop  to  talk  about  the  man  that  did  the  deed.  “ Vengeance  is  mine, 
saith  the  Lord : I will  repay.”  He  sees  the  terrors  of  a scaffold  before  him 
probably,  and  the  eternal  disgrace  which  falls  to  the  murderer  and  assassin, 
and  he  is  going  down  to  the  judgment  of  God  amid  the  frowns  of  the 
world.  But  where  is  James  A.  Garfield,  whom  we  lent  to  you  seven 
months  ago  ? Many  of  you  were  there  at  the  time  of  his  inauguration,  and 
witnessed  the  grand  pageant  which  passed  in  front  of  the  Capitol,  and  the 
grandest  that  was  ever  had  in  the  nation  was  held  on  that  occasion.  And 
now  comes  this  unwelcome  but  splendid  exhibition,  that  will  be  read  of  all 
over  the  world  with  regret ; for  Secretary  Blaine,  in  a business-like  manner, 
'made  out  that  there  were  three  hundred  million  people  of  the  world 
mourning  the  death  of  President  Garfield  and  offering  up  sympathy.  Where 
is  he  ? Here  is  all  that  is  left  of  him,  the  grand,  bright  and  brilliant  man. 
Now  that  soul  that  loved,  that  mind  that  taught  and  has  impressed  itself 
upon  the  world,  must  come  back,  for  if  thoughts  live,  will  that  precious 
thought  cease?  In  reason  he  speaks,  and  in  example  he  lives.  His 
thoughts  and  mighty  deeds  still  flourish  in  structure.  We  shall  get  him 
back,  fellow-citizens. 

In  conversation  with  one  nearest  and  dearest  to  him,  she  said  when  she 


SINGING  AT  THE  GRAVE. 


759 


thought  of  his  relations  as  a husband,  a son  and  a statesman,  having  reached 
the  highest  pinnacle  to  which  man  can  be  elevated  by  the  free  suffrage  of 
our  50,000,000  of  people,  there  was  no  promotion  left  for  her  beloved  but 
for  God  to  call  him  higher.  He  has  received  that  promotion.  He 
believed  in  the  immortality,  not  only  of  the  soul,  but  of  the  body,  and  that 
the  grave  will  give  up  the  dead.  He  must  live,  and,  my  friends,  that  was 
the  hope  that  sustained  him.  It  was  with  him  in  the  war,  and  the  enemy 
never  saw  his  back.  They  never  looked  upon  his  back;  he  was  fortunate 
in  ever}-  contest  in  being  on  the  victorious  side.  But  the  grandest  fight  he 
ever  made  in  the  last  eighty  days  of  his  existence,  fought  not  because  he 
himself  personally  expected  to  live,  but  the  doctors  told  him  to  hope.  He 
loved  his  wife  and  children,  and  he  hoped.  “ I am  not  afraid  to  die,  but  I 
will  try  to  live.”  And  then  he  was  not  conquered  except  by  simple 
exhaustion. 

It  seems  to  me  that  no  good  man  by  the  name  of  Abraham  can  be  Presi- 
dent of  the  United  States,  and  can  be  long  absent  from  Abraham’s  bosom, 
for  both  of  them  have  been  called,  and  early,  to  the  Paradise  of  God,  and 
his  spirit  looks  down  on  us  to-day.  He  is  in  the  society  of  Washington 
and  Lincoln,  and  the  immortal  hosts  of  patriots  that  stood  for  their  country-. 
Let  me  say  in  conclusion  : There  was  a man  in  ancient  Bible  history-  that 
killed  more  in  his  death  than  he  did  in  his  life,  and  I believe  that  to  be 
true  with  James  A.  Garfield.  I doubt  whether  there  is  a page  that  equals 
this  in  sympathy-  and  love,  not  only-  in  this  country  but  all  over  the  world. 
Have  you  ever  read  anything  like  this  ? You  brethren  here  of  the  South, 
I greet  you  to-day,  and  you  brethren  of  the  North,  East  and  West,  come, 
let  us  lay  all  our  bitterness  in  the  coffin  of  the  dear  man.  Let  him  carry- 
it  with  him  to  the  grave  in  silence.  Till  the  angels  disturb  the  slumbers  of 
the  dead,  let  us  love  each  other  more  and  our  country  better.  May  God 
bless  you  and  the  dear  family- ; and  as  they  constitute  a great  family-  on 
earth,  I hope  they-  will  constitute  a great  family-  in  the  Kingdom  of  God, 
where  I hope  to  meet  you  all  in  the  end.  Amen. 


The  Latin  ode  from  Horace,  “ To  Arestius 
Fuscus,”  was  sung  by  the  United  German  Singing 
Society. 

Dr.  Robinson  then  announced  the  late  Presi- 
dent’s favorite  hymn:  “Ho,  reapers  of  Life’s 
Harvest!”  which  the  German  vocal  societies  of 
Cleveland  sang  with  good  effect.  The  exercises 


^5o  THE  LIFE  0F  PRESIDENT  GARFIELD. 

closed  with  the  benediction  by  President  Hinsdale, 
of  Hiram  College,  who  was  introduced  by  Dr. 
Robinson.  Mr.  Hinsdale  said  : 


O God,  die  sad  experience  of  this  day  teaches  us  the  truth  of  what'1 
Thou  hast  told  us  in  Thy  Word.  The  grave  is  the  last  of  this  world  and 
the  end  of  life.  “ Earth  to  earth;  dust  to  dust;  ashes  ko  ashes.”  But  we 
love  the  doctrine  of  the  immortality  of  the  soul,  and  the  power  of  the 
endless  life.  Therefore,  O God  our  Father,  we  look  to  Thee  now  for 
Thy  greatest  blessing.  We  pray  that  the  fellowship  and  the  salvadon  of 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  our  Saviour,  and  the  inspiration  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
the  Comforter,  may  be  with  all  who  have  been  in  to-day’s  great  assembly. 
Amen. 


Harry  and  James  Garfield  then  entered  the  tomb 
to  take  a last  look  at  the  casket  that  inclosed  the 
remains  of  their  father.  They  were  accompanied 
by  Colonels  Rockwell  and  Corbin,  and,  on  coming 
out,  James  was  sobbing  bitterly.  He  picked  up  a 
little  red  flower  from  the  steps  of  the  tomb  and 
carried  it  to  his  mother,  who  pressed  it  to  her  lips. 
Then  the  members  of  the  Cabinet  visited  the 
coffin  for  the  last  time,  and,  at  4.30  o’clock,  the 
sad  cortege  departed  to  the  world  without. 


FINIS. 


Date  Due 

, 

923.173 

D65424 

Balch 

The  Llfp  nf  James 

A"hr*a  m 

Garfield 

923.173  G231BL 

565424 

/ 


